New construction starts have slowed in Palm Beach and Broward counties, but a couple of big projects about to begin in South Florida have contractors hopeful for better times ahead. Photo: Aerial Photo Inc./www.api4.com A reminder of recent times, when construction opportunities dotted the landscape. Miami-based Coastal Construction's nearly completed Promenade project. A rendering of the new Florida Marlins baseball park, which will feature a retractable roof. Located in Miami, the $430-million project, which officially broke ground is July, is raising hopes of creating jobs for contractors located in Broward and Palm Beach counties, too. Image courtesy Populous. Related Links:
Although controversy once again swirls around redevelopment of the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan, both the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Silverstein Properties of New York report their projects are on schedule and progressing well. Photo: Joe Woolhead During an eventful year on the World Trade Center site, crews found glacial formation at the site of Tower Four during excavation. Photo: Silverstein Properties Crews place reinforcing steel at Tower Four, which will also be known as 150 Greenwich St. Related Links: 3-D View “The public side of the World Trade Center site is clearly
The new Tampa Museum of Art and related improvements to adjoining parks and gardens is expected to breathe new life into downtown. “That is going to be a jewel,” says Frank Cardinal, senior vice president and account manager with Skanska USA Building in Tampa, which is working on the museum and related components. This rendering of the new Tampa Museum of Art shows how the architect, Stanley Saitowitz of San Francisco, raised the gallery areas and created the illusion that the building is "floating above the water." Related Links: Tampa Report: No Recovery in the Private Market, but Public Sector
The economic recession and tight financial markets have considerably slowed construction activity in Florida’s Tampa Bay region, but government entities continue to invest in roads, ports, airports and other projects. Slide Show Photo: courtesy the Beck Group The Beck Group of Tampa is building its new LEED-silver certified regional headquarters in Tampa. Related Links: Building a 'Frame for Art' Tampa Bay Water OKs Big Repair Bill for Cracking Reservoir “The private market is basically nonexistent,” says Tom Fronce, senior vice president of marketing for Creative Contractors in Clearwater. “The private market is having difficulty getting funding. We don’t see anything
During the economic recession, specialty contractors are being forced to do what they can to be more competitive and attractive to contractors. For some, that has meant upgrading skills, learning the latest about building information modeling and sustainability. For others, it has meant spreading out geographically. But all agree that surviving in this climate is about embracing change while still doggedly pursuing traditional jobs. Specialty contractors on large-scale jobs like the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. are learning valuable new technologies that will help them remain competitive in the future. Related Links: Top Specialty Contractors Top Specialty Contractors
Construction crews on the massive One World Trade Center site Wednesday reached a milestone by placing the largest steel column to date for the $3.1 billion tower in Lower Manhattan. The 60-ft, 70 ton beam will serve as one of 24 perimeter columns that surround the building’s core. Once placed, the columns will allow the initial floors of the tower – including the lobby – to be built out. Each of the 24 columns was manufactured at the ArcelorMittal plant in Luxembourg. The steel plates were shipped to North America and fabricated in shops in South Plainfield, N.J. and Terrebonne,
Construction crews on the massive One World Trade Center site Wednesday reached a milestone by placing the largest steel column to date for the $3.1 billion tower in Lower Manhattan. The 60-ft, 70 ton beam will serve as one of 24 perimeter columns that surround the building’s core. Once placed, the columns will allow the initial floors of the tower – including the lobby – to be built out. Each of the 24 columns was manufactured at the ArcelorMittal plant in Luxembourg. The steel plates were shipped to North America and fabricated in shops in South Plainfield, N.J. and Terrebonne,
The Architecture, Construction and Engineering Mentor Program offers high-school students a chance to discover a range of opportunities in design and construction – and scholarships to help them achieve their goals. More than 50,000 high school students nationally have participated in the ACE Mentor Program since its inception in 1995, with 9,300 taking part in it this year. “This program has taken kids with an interest in building and shown them being an engineer is more than being a math geek,” says Denise Richardson, managing director of the General Contractors Association of New York. More than 50,000 high school students
The Florida Dept. of Transportation breathed life into its plans for a $1-billion Port of Miami Tunnel, agreeing after days of intense negotiations with local officials and the South Florida legislative delegation to attempt to reach an agreement with its original concessionaire Miami Access Tunnel, even though MAT’s equity partner Babcock & Brown of Australia bailed out of the deal late last year. FDOT Secretary Stephanie C. Kopelousos stated in a letter to Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez that the agency would make its technical team available to participate in a working group with county staff, who hope to use
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act came along just as traditional revenues for new roadwork were drying up in North Carolina and road lettings were being reduced to a small fraction of recent levels. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has between only $15 million and $20 million available monthly for traditional lettings. That’s down 75% from 2008, when the state let $948.6 million in new contracts, or an average of nearly $80 million per month. Revenues are down about 11% overall, but the highway-use tax, derived from vehicle sales, is down about 30% this year, says Burt Tasaico, state