GROUND BREAKING ON CIGNA POINTE:
CIGNA'S 210,000 SF NEW REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS BUILDING IN PLANO, TEXAS
CMC Realty Key to Moving Four CIGNA Offices to New Site
DALLAS - Members of Plano's City Council, Economic Development Board of Trustees, Collin County officials and other dignitaries were joined October 3 by representatives from CIGNA and CMC Realty Group to celebrate the groundbreaking of CIGNA's new regional headquarters in Plano, Texas.
In its new regional headquarters, CIGNA plans to consolidate employees and operations which are currently in four separate facilities around the metropolitan area. The building will serve as a major regional center for CIGNA.
Named CIGNA Pointe, the 210,000 square foot office building is situated in a prime location on the northeast corner of the Dallas North Tollway and Plano Parkway, one block north of the President George Bush Turnpike. CIGNA Pointe will be a four-story office building, divided into two wings on each floor, with each floor to be about 50,000 square feet. The exterior façade of the building is enhanced with brick, aluminum, and painted surface as well as a glass curtain wall. The top floor of the building is further enriched with the glass and aluminum façade and a taller floor height. The project sits on the northern 13 acres of a 43-acre, master-planned project and is the first building constructed in the development.
"The City of Plano is honored to be selected as the site for CIGNA's regional headquarters," said Mayor Pat Evans, City of Plano. "We were pleased to have the opportunity to work with CIGNA and CMC leadership and to help them see the merits of this great location which is easily accessible to major thoroughfares and regional airports and surrounded by an excellent workforce."
"The north Texas area - where we serve many thousands of individuals and employers - is very important to CIGNA," said David Toomey, president and general manager of CIGNA HealthCare of Texas. "We are pleased that we could find a site that would enable us to bring all of our employees under one roof to strengthen the service we provide to individuals and businesses."
Toomey said the new facility would help the company attract and retain employees by offering a working environment that that encourages employees to be fit and eat healthy foods. The new facility will include a gym and extensive healthy offerings in the company cafeteria.
"Teaming with CIGNA in developing its regional headquarters offers an incredible opportunity for us to build a progressive, environmentally sensitive facility which will be a model for future building in the region," said Jesse Pruitt, principal of CMC Realty. "This state-of-the-art building will not only offer an efficient, progressive work environment, but also includes wellness and lifestyle amenities which are a clear demonstration of CIGNA's dedication to healthy living and the well being of its employees."
Designed by Dallas-based Corgan Associates, Inc., CIGNA's facility will incorporate a rain-capture roof system, an East-West orientation to minimize direct sun exposure and will be constructed with recycled materials, allowing it to be considered a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified, green building. The rain-capture roof system is created by the unique Bird-Wing design with the "wings" sloped in to the center, which forces the rain water to accumulate in the center spin. The water is then carried and stored into large, decorative cisterns located at the bottom of the building.
The property is currently accented by large trees and a wooded creek, and will be enhanced with abundant landscaping, jogging and walking paths as well as picnic areas. A central road with branching walkways will connect all the buildings on the site to create a pedestrian-friendly environment. Future additions to the site include possible retail areas, additional office buildings, hotel and residential units.
T he CIGNA building is expected to be completed in September 2009 with moves from CIGNA's various regional locations following soon after completion.
ABOUT CMC - Commercial Realty Group
CMC - Commercial Realty Group was formed in 1995 in Dallas, Texas, by the partnership of Subash Gaitonde and Jesse Pruitt. Together, they have led CMC to develop over 10 million square feet of real estate across the United States including North Texas, San Antonio, Houston and Denver. Over the years, CMC's expertise has diversified from developing industrial buildings to other areas of commercial real estate including built-to-suit, retail and office. CMC also offers a complete package of brokerage services including project leasing and tenant representation. In over 14 years of existence, CMC has grown into a strong and competitive turnkey real estate company with the broad experience in every aspect of the real estate business.
ABOUT CIGNA
CIGNA(NYSE:CI) provides employers with benefits, expertise and services that improve the health, well-being and security of their employees. With approximately 47 million covered lives in the United States and around the world, CIGNA's operating subsidiaries offer a full portfolio of medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care benefits and group life, accident and disability insurance. For more information, visit www.cigna.com.