A long winter and struggling economy impeded construction of TEAM Technologies’ data center in Waukee, but the project is moving forward with a “pretty big change from last fall,” said Mark Kittrell, the company’s vice president of business development.

Cedar Falls-based TEAM Technologies, which is partnering with Iowa Health System on the $40 million to $50 million project at the Crossing at Alice’s Road, used the winter months to select a new general contractor, replacing Ryan Companies US Inc. with Madison, Wis.-based Tri North Builders.

“It was a fascinating winter,” Kittrell said, referring to the general slowdown in real estate and construction. “The economy was a bit of a challenge for us,” he said, adding that Tri North came in as the low bidder.

Brad Schoenfelder, Ryan’s vice president of development in Des Moines, said his firm was providing upfront development and construction services last year. But when the developer went out to bid in January with a revised “design, bid, build” approach, Ryan chose to opt out.

“At that time we opted not to provide a bid,” Schoenfelder said.

About half of the project’s initial 17,000-square-foot phase, currently under construction and slated for completion in October 2009, will be occupied by Iowa Health, Kittrell said.

Phases two and three of the overall 46,000-square-foot development are slated for completion in October 2010 and October 2011, respectively, Kittrell said, depending on how successful TEAM’s marketing efforts are.

Kittrell said prospective regional and national tenants have shown interest in recent months, though no letters of intent have been signed.