Year-over-year construction employment in the tristate region rose slightly, following a broader national trend, according to the Associated General Contractors of America's latest analysis of Dept. of Labor data. Construction employment rose in half the states and decreased in the other half during the past year, closely matching the stable national employment picture, AGC says. The even split reflects the accelerating improvement in apartment and private nonresidential construction, offset by a declining public market and stalled single-family sector, it adds.Job gains nationwide are likely to remain spotty for months to come, however, says Ken Simonson, AGC's chief economist.In Connecticut, industry
Like a well-worn roadway, old hospitals and technology may get the job done, but they are not ideal—especially for an aging population increasingly reliant on state-of-the-art treatment facilities. While the country is full of infrastructure in need of an upgrade, at least one state—Connecticut—is poised to bring its hospital and health-care sector into the 21st century with advanced medicine and facilities to match. Analysts say that with more than $1 billion of expansions and new building planned during the next six years, the state's hospital and health-care sector may be well-positioned to throw a lifeline to the ailing construction industry.
When it comes to the many New York State bridges and roadways in bad need of attention, the industry might learn a lesson or two from the Occupy Wall Street movement, David Tweedy, chief of capital planning at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, told attendees at ENR New York's transportation funding conference today. "How many of you don't know what the 99 percent means," he asked and, when no hand was raised, he laughed. "The kids at Zuccotti Park created a dialog about the 99 percent," something that industry has failed to do about the state
The number of stalled construction projects citywide fell by 8% from October 2010 to October 2011, according to a New York Building Congress study of Dept. of Buildings (DOB) inspection records and Dept. of Finance (DOF) records. However, the amount of stalled projects—roughly 638 this year—is still 40% above the number in the DOB's database for 2009. DOF estimates the aggregate market value of the current stalled projects in the database is $1.3 billion. "It is encouraging to see that we have stemmed the flow of stalled sites and that at least a portion of these projects are moving once
Next September, students at P.S. 59 and the High School of Art and Design on Manhattan's East Side will start classes on their old block but in new digs: a 12-story building that they will share with each other and a Whole Foods market on a mixed-use site.
The New York City Council gave final approval today for the long-awaited transfer of the six-acre Admirals Row site at the Brooklyn Navy Yard from the National Guard to the City of New York, which owns the 300-acre navy yard. The approval comes after a five-month-review process by city officials and the conclusion of talks between the guard and the non-profit Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp. (BNYDC), and it allows for the redevelopment of the historic site. Redevelopment of the site, expected to begin next year following the site's transfer to the city, will include construction of a 74,000-sq-ft supermarket,
Only a few weeks remain before a federal renewable energy incentive program expires. The 1603 Treasury Dept. grant program, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, pays investors a cash grant equal to 30% of the total cost of eligible projects that began from 2009 through December 31, 2011. Under the program, payment is due within 60 days of the renewable energy system’s activation. After the expiration date, projects may be eligible for the 30% federal investment tax credit program that allows participants to reduce their tax liability."The grant program is a big incentive for developers to
Related Links: Bright Outlook for New Jersey Solar Energy The U.S. photovoltaic industry is expected to hit a milestone this year by surpassing the 1-GW mark, or generating enough electricity from the sun to power more than 200,000 homes. While California remains firmly in the lead as the nation’s largest solar power generator, the Northeast region is catching up and accounts for much of the milestone thanks to aggressive business and homeowner incentive programs, said speakers at the PV Power-Generation Mid-West & East conference, held in New York City on Nov. 8-9.“The Northeast is the new California market,” Shaun Chapman,
Related Links: Bright Outlook for New Jersey Solar Energy The U.S. photovoltaic industry is expected to hit a milestone this year by surpassing the 1-GW mark, or generating enough electricity from the sun to power more than 200,000 homes. While California remains firmly in the lead as the nation’s largest solar power generator, the Northeast region is catching up and accounts for much of the milestone thanks to aggressive business and homeowner incentive programs, said speakers at the PV Power-Generation Mid-West & East conference, held in New York City on Nov. 8-9.“The Northeast is the new California market,” Shaun Chapman,
EPA and the Dept. of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced plans last week (Nov. 4) to jointly evaluate the feasibility of developing biomass, geothermal, solar or wind energy production on 26 Superfund brownfield and former landfill or mining sites. The feasibility study, part of EPA's RE-Powering America's Land initiative, calls for EPA to provide about $1 million in technical assistance to the sites, Lura Matthews, RE-Powering America's Land project lead, told attendees at the PV Power Generation Mid-West & East conference, held this week in Manhattan. The study aims to determine the best technology for each site; the