Stating Florida must comply with the original 1992 consent decree to address Everglades pollution, U.S. District Judge Federico A. Moreno granted on March 31 the Miccosukee tribe�s motion to compel completion of a key reservoir. Since 2008, the work has stopped on the $700-million project in Palm Beach County; instead, state funds have been plowed into buying private sugar-growing land near Lake Okeechobee for a new restoration plan. Parties now are weighing the potential impact. Landowner U.S. Sugar Corp. says the ruling “does not preclude” the state’s continuing land purchase to meet the consent decree’s terms. Tribal officials and those

Skanska USA announced that its building unit in San Antonio was the recipient of multiple health-care construction awards at the 2009 Annual Excellence in Construction Competition hosted by the Associated Builders and Contractors of South Texas. Skanska won the Mega Projects Award, the Healthcare Award, the Institutional Award and the Gold S.T.E.P. Award for Safety. Skanska USA also announced it has completed construction on the Texas Southmost College Arts Center Building in Brownsville. MIYAKODA MENDENHALL LONG TBG Partners promoted employees at three of its four Texas offices. In Dallas/Fort Worth, Kent T. Mendenhall was promoted to principal; in Houston, Yan

The Florida Dept. of Transportation has hired a team of Kansas City, Mo.-based HNTB Corp. and Wilbur Smith Associates of Columbia, S.C., to serve as program managers for its Florida Rail Enterprise. The FRE is the newly launched agency that will oversee Florida's development of inter-city high-speed rail service. Related Links: Rail Advocates Have High Hopes for Future Funding Nazih Haddad, FRE’s chief operating officer, said HNTB and WSA will assist the agency’s staff on an ongoing basis in developing the state’s HSR program. The two companies had previously worked together as general consultants to the state in its long-term

The city of Orlando has approved the sale of an additional $69 million in bonds to partially plug a gaping funding hole in its originally $1.1-billion Community Venues building program and kick-start construction of the $250-million first phase of the city's new performing arts center. Image courtesy Dr. P. Phillips Performing Arts Center The city of Orlando has approved an additional $69 million in bonds to start construction of the $250-million first phase of its new performing arts center. Funding for the second piece of Orlando’s venues program had taken a hit when revenues from the tourist development tax plunged

Private investors will be interested in high-speed-rail projects-if the federal funding stream remains consistent, experts say. Photo courtesy U.S. High Speed Rail Association Nazih Haddad, COO of the Florida Rail Enterprise, stated Florida will need further federal funds before it can proceed with its Tampa-Orlando HSR project. Related Links: Florida HSR Power Point Presentation at USHSR Conference In particular, advocates are hoping the $2.5-billion Tampa-Orlando line will prove the mode’s viability. However, that project still lacks about $1.2 billion in funding. The assurance of future federal funding is a key first step in attracting necessary private-sector investment, said Michael Cant,

Led by strong gains in both the residential and nonbuilding sectors, the value of new North Carolina contracts signed in January for future construction jumped by 19% overall, compared to the same period of a year ago, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Southeast Construction. The value of the state’s January construction contracts was nearly $1.1 billion. The nonbuilding category, which includes infrastructure projects, showed the biggest monthly gain, jumping 97% compared to the same period of a year ago with $218.9 million in new contracts. North Carolina’s residential sector also showed strong signs of life, improving by 30% compared

As was the case in other states around the country, South Carolina’s residential and nonbuilding sectors showed robust gains in the value of new contracts signed in January for future construction, reported McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Southeast Construction. Compared to the same period of a year ago, the value of South Carolina’s January contracts was roughly $502.3 million, or 22% better than a year ago. The nonbuilding category, which includes infrastructure projects, showed the biggest surge by nearly doubling compared to last January and generating $164.4 million in new contracts. The residential sector also jumped notably, improving by 42% compared

McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Southeast Construction, reported that the value of new Florida contracts signed in January for future construction rose by 9% overall, compared to the same period of a year ago. The total of all new contracts was nearly $2.5 billion. The residential category showed the most improvement from the year-ago period, jumping 32% and totaling $677.6 million for the month. The value of nonbuilding, or infrastructure, contracts increased by 13% compared to last January for the largest monthly total, $932.9 million. Nonresidential starts fell 8%, however, to total $856.4 million.

The value of new Georgia contracts signed in January for future construction fell by 1% overall, compared to the same period of a year ago, reported McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Southeast Construction. Georgia’s January construction contracts totaled approximately $892.5 million. The residential category showed improvement, escalating by 5% compared to last January to tally roughly $257 million. The value of nonbuilding, or infrastructure, contracts also increased, by 15%, for an approximately $251.3-million total. The value of new nonresidential contracts fell 12%, however, to total $384.2 million.

On Jan. 28, officials with the Obama administration unveiled grants totaling $545 million for the state of North Carolina to use to fund rail improvements. Related Links: North Carolina: 1% December Drop Adds Up to 28% ’09 Decline South Carolina: 18% December Drop = 36% ’09 Decline Carolinas AGC Presents Top Honors to Construction Leaders O’Neal to Construct FitesaFiberweb Expansion in Simpsonville, S.C. South Carolina Leaders Hope for I-73 Stimulus Dollars URS to Operate North Carolina’s Triangle Expressway Toll Facility A grant totaling $520 million will fund nearly 30 interrelated projects aimed at increasing top train speeds and doubling the