A vocal group of local residents has spurred a debate over the route of a new, seven-mile stretch of road in north Phoenix being built to access an area of Sonoran Desert preserve. Opponents claim the new thoroughfare will draw unwanted traffic to a quiet neighborhood. Photo courtesy of Haydon Building Corp. Three traffic bridges and 10 steel truss pedestrian bridges are included in the project. Bridges over normally dry washes are built to withstand flash floods. The Phoenix City Council on June 14 placed construction of the contentious west third of the project on temporary hold, pending mediation. Work
With the first phase of PHX Sky Train from the 44th Street Metro Light Rail in Phoenix to Sky Harbor Airport’s Terminal 4 on track for a 2013 opening, many wondered why the second stage to connect the airport’s other terminals to the system wasn't set to open until 2020. That changed earlier this month after the Phoenix City Council voted to move up completion of a .6-mile section to connect Terminal 4 with Terminal 3, along with a walkway for passengers to access Terminal 2, to early 2015. This portion was originally part of a second phase that would
Spring is in the air for two firms selected to construct a new spring training and western headquarters facility for the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball team in Mesa, Ariz. Populous, Kansas City, Mo., beat out nine competing firms to win the design contract, while Hunt Construction Group, Scottsdale, Ariz., bested eight others for the general contractor job. Image courtesy City of Mesa Conceptual drawings show possible layouts for the Cubs' new spring home. Image courtesy City of Mesa The new spring training venue pictured here in a concept drawing will replace the Cubs' existing facility in Mesa, Hohokam Park.
Spring is in the air for two firms selected to construct a new spring training and western headquarters facility for the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball team in Mesa, Ariz. Populous, Kansas City, Mo., beat out nine competing firms to win the design contract, while Hunt Construction Group, Scottsdale, Ariz., bested eight others for the general contractor job. Photo: Baseball Image Courtesy City Of Mesa Conceptual drawings show possible layouts for the Cubs’ new spring home. Photo: Baseball Image Courtesy City Of Mesa The project will be built as a construction manager-at-risk project. “It’s a complex project, and we want
The steady slide in revenue among the Southwest's leading design firms continued for the fourth straight year in 2010, according to figures provided by the firms participating in this year's survey. Design revenue from projects located in Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico totaled $1.24 billion in 2010, down 5% from the previous year and 29% below the peak of $1.74 billion in 2006. “The economic downturn has been a sobering experience and has reinforced our focus on being a company that provides diverse service offerings across a range of sectors,” says Tim Lines, managing vice president of the desert/mountain regions
To industry giant AECOM, one is an important number. Not only is it the company's rank on ENR's 2011 list of top U.S. design firms, it also is part of the firm's new mantra, “One AECOM,” which represents its efforts to unite employees under a single identity. photo by Patti Reznik Photography Wrapping Up Crews finish the exterior skin of the 14-story, $263-million Maricopa County Court Tower, which AECOM co-designed. Photo by Daniel Watts Dominated by an amoeba-like art piece, Civic Space packs a wide array of functions and sustainable design principles into 2.5 acres in downtown Phoenix. Related Links:
Since subsurface utility maps are so essential to reducing risk on many construction jobs, research continues to improve buried-utility detection and mapping tools. Image courtesy of Underground Imaging Technologies Combined sensors help map buried features in difficult soil conditions Several concepts were showcased at a conference produced by FIATECH, an industry consortium working to improve project delivery through technology, in Phoenix in late April. One presenter, James Anspach, chairman of the American Society of Civil Engineers' codes and standards committee, noted that the U.S. has trillions of dollars invested in some 20 million miles of known, buried utilities. “Existing utilities
The long saga of the construction of Tempe�s tallest residential towers, begun in 2005, may soon reach its final chapter after this week�s ribbon cutting for the project�s new leasing office. Formerly Centerpoint Condominiums, the two-tower development in the heart of Tempe�s Mill Avenue district was recently re-christened West 6th Tempe to signify a switch from condos to rentals, and construction crews have been back at work for several weeks. Photo by Scott Blair Holding the scissors, Kent Chantung (l) and Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman (r) cut a ribbon to signify the opening of West 6th Tempe�s leasing office. Photo
Work has resumed on the Steve Herrera Judicial Complex in downtown Santa Fe, N.M., after a plume of free-phase hydrocarbons, leaked from 1920s-era leaded-gasoline tanks, led to a two-year delay. In 2009, demolition of the site�s existing structures had been completed and excavation for the 103,000-sq-ft, three-story building had begun when the owner, Santa Fe County, and the New Mexico Environment Dept. dug test wells that revealed the extent of the contamination. Rendering: NCA Architects Work on a $38.5-million courthouse in Santa Fe finally progresses after extensive soil remediation. Rendering: NCA Architects Stalled Santa Fe Courthouse Work Resumes After Cleanup.
Article toolbar Solar module manufacturer First Solar Inc., Tempe, Ariz., has selected Mesa, Ariz. as the site of a new fabrication plant. The $300-million first phase is scheduled to break ground later this year, with operations beginning third quarter 2012. Photo courtesy First Solar The plant will produce 250 MW of thin-film photovoltaic modules per year, to be used in numerous solar generating facilities throughout the world. Photo courtesy First Solar First Solar�s manufacturing plant in Mesa will have a 3-MW rooftop solar array to generate power, similar to this one atop the company�s Perrysburg, Ohio plant. Photo courtesy First
