Tallahassee, Fla.-based Ajax Building Corp. announced that it has opened an office in Atlanta. It is the contractor’s eighth office and the first outside Florida. Related Links: AGC Leaders Emphasize Collaboration, ‘Being Heard’ St. Joe Relocates Corporate HQ to Northwest Florida Leo A. Daly Completes Acquisition of Schwab, Twitty & Hanser Bayview Construction Recognized Nationally for SFWMD Project

The dollar volume of new Southeast residential construction contracts is starting off 2010 at a brisker pace than last year, according to new information from McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Southeast Construction. Through February, nine of the four-state region’s 10 largest metropolitan markets for residential construction—five of them now located at least partly in the Carolinas—experienced increased activity compared to the same period of a year ago. The Tampa metro area was in first place, thanks to a 37% increase and more than $237.2 million in new housing starts. Atlanta’s residential starts improved by 13% for a second-place total of more

The joint-venture of H.J. High Construction Co. of Orlando and Batson-Cook Co. of West Point, Ga., was awarded a $16.9-million contract for the second phase of the Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas’ Savannah Machinery  Works project. The team will build a 75,000-sq-ft manufacturing bay for the new facility in Pooler. Related Links: Value of Georgia Contracts Down 31% in February BE&K Working on Multiple Medical Contracts R.J. Griffin Team Awarded Springfield Hospital Modernization OSHA, Skanska Partner for Safety on Westin Peachtree Project Hardin Starts Tech College Project Batson-Cook Building Residence Hall for Rehabilitation Institute McCarthy Completes Georgia State Science Park Phase

Downtown Dania Beach Development hired Finfrock Construction to design and construct a 440-car garage for Dania Beach City Hall. The four-level garage is scheduled for completion by the end of 2010. Related Links: Balfour Beatty Uses PPP for $123M FAU Student Housing Project R.R. Simmons Scores USF Project Florida Contracts: Value of New Projects Drops 11% in February Skanska to Construct $49-Million Facility for City of Gainesville Suffolk, Webcor Team Up for Miami Science Museum J.L. Wallace to Build Ave Maria University Field House

PCL Civil Contractors of Tampa led the replacement of a swing-span bridge in Sullivan’s Island, S.C., in 11 days. The new Ben Sawyer Bridge was reopened in February after the 250-ft replacement swing span was floated in place and the approach spans rolled in place onto the existing substructure. Related Links: North Carolina Contract Activity Bounces Back to Start the Year South Carolina Sees 58% Surge in February Contracts BE&K Awarded Government Contracts in North, South Carolina Turner Building $61.5-Million UNC-Charlotte Facility Elkins Constructors Building North Charleston Elementary School The $32.5-million project is being executed under a design-build contract for

Skanska USA announced it will build the $49-million head office for the City of Gainesville’s Regional Utilities unit. Related Links: Balfour Beatty Uses PPP for $123M FAU Student Housing Project R.R. Simmons Scores USF Project Florida Contracts: Value of New Projects Drops 11% in February Suffolk, Webcor Team Up for Miami Science Museum J.L. Wallace to Build Ave Maria University Field House Finfrock Starts Dania Beach Parking Garage The nine-building GRU facility will comprise the head office for Gainesville’s various utilities units for energy, water and wastewater, as well as the telephone and data networks. In addition to offices and

Hardin Construction Co. of Atlanta is beginning construction of an administration and classroom building on the Gordon County campus of Georgia Northwestern Technical College, near Calhoun. Related Links: Value of Georgia Contracts Down 31% in February BE&K Working on Multiple Medical Contracts R.J. Griffin Team Awarded Springfield Hospital Modernization H.J. High/Batson-Cook Awarded Second Mitsubishi Contract OSHA, Skanska Partner for Safety on Westin Peachtree Project Batson-Cook Building Residence Hall for Rehabilitation Institute McCarthy Completes Georgia State Science Park A ceremonial groundbreaking was held in March for the two-story, 46,600-sq-ft facility, which will house a bookstore, classrooms, labs, media center and 500-seat

The Savannah, Ga., office of Elkins Constructors has started construction on its $13.3-million McKewn Elementary School project in North Charleston, S.C. The 103,000-sq-ft school is targeting a spring 2011 completion. LS3P of Charleston is the architect. Related Links: Ben Sawyer Swing Bridge Replaced within 11 Days North Carolina Contract Activity Bounces Back to Start the Year South Carolina Sees 58% Surge in February Contracts BE&K Awarded Government Contracts in North, South Carolina Turner Building $61.5-Million UNC-Charlotte Facility

Hundreds of Florida transportation contractors descended upon Tallahassee last week to rally against a pending $160-million raid of the State Transportation Trust Fund and to encourage Gov. Charlie Crist to use his veto power to stop it. It�s the last hope to stop the transfer of funds, says Robert G. Burleson, president of the Florida Transportation Builders Association of Tallahassee. Photo courtesy FTBA Members of the Florida Transportation Builders Association made the choice clear to state legislators poised to cut approximately $160 million from the state's transportation fund. Photo courtesy FTBA This "road sign" conveyed FTBA's stance on raiding road

Editor’s Note: Portions of this article originally appeared on ENR.com. The warning shot came in a federal court in Louisiana, and it may signal the beginning of the end of one of the more costly aspects of the homebuilding boom of 2004-2007. Federal Judge Eldon Fallon in New Orleans ordered Taishan Gypsum Co. Ltd. to pay seven Virginia families a total of $2.6 million to remediate defective Chinese-made drywall in their homes. The case is the first of several class-action lawsuits filed against manufacturers of material that has proven to be a veritable nightmare—and source of odors—for thousands of homeowners.