Jonathan B. Jarvis, who has spent 33 years at the National Park Service, has been approved as the new NPS director. Jarvis, whom the Senate confirmed on Sept. 24, has led the NPS Pacific West region for the last seven years. The park service’s 2009 construction appropriations were $233 million, excluding emergency funding. NPS also has $750 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for repairs and upgrades.
Comments on a proposed rule that would encourage use of project labor agreements on large federal construction projects included passionate pleas from unions in favor of the proposal and from open-shop interests against it. The proposal would implement a Feb. 6 executive order. The laborers’ union says PLAs help deliver projects on time and on budget and guarantee uninterrupted access to skilled labor. Strong opposition came from 906 comments filed by Associated Builders and Contractors and its member companies. ABC has released a study claiming no labor disruptions or major delays occurred on non-PLA federal projects begun in the Bush
Demand far exceeds supply for the Dept. of Transportation’ $1.5 billion in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) discretionary grants. DOT reported on Sept. 25 that its preliminary tally shows it received 1,381 applications for the grants from all 50 states and other jurisdictions. Those requests seek a stunning total of $56.9 billion. The grant program, established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is aimed at big-impact projects. DOT says 771 of the TIGER applications are for highway projects, requesting a total of $32.2 billion. Transit ranks second, with 220 applications totaling $10.7 billion. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood has
Construction wages and benefits have taken a sharp downturn this year as companies have seen job opportunities dry up nationwide. After nearly a decade of steady increases, compensation has flattened on average as many employers have frozen or decreased wages. Analysts hold a mixed view on the trend, noting the situation isn’t alarming today, but could worsen in the future. While the recession has eased cost-of-living pressures on wages, the health-care debate is raising concerns that employers may face considerable financial hurdles further out. Photo: Tudor Van Hamptom / ENR Union, nonunion labor costs are going flat but professional and
The House has taken another stab at steering federal funds to school construction. The chamber on Sept. 17 approved a measure that would authorize more than $6.5 billion for public-school and community-college projects. The provision is part of a bill that would expand the federal college-loan program and curtail private lending in that sector. The focus now moves to the Senate, where the fate of the construction proposal is uncertain. The measure would authorize $2.02 billion annually for fiscal 2010 and 2011 to modernize, renovate or repair K-12 public schools. Another $2.5 billion would be available for new construction or
Revisiting efforts to funnel federal funds into school construction, the House has approved a measure that would authorize more than $6.5 billion for K-12 public school and community-college projects. The provision is part of a bill, which the House passed on Sept. 17, that would expand the federal loan program for college students and curtail private lending. The measure would authorize $2.02 billion annually for fiscal 2010 and 2011 for modernization, renovation or repair of K-12 public schools. Another $2.5 billion would be available for new construction or modernization of community colleges, starting in fiscal 2011. Groups like the American
These days, revenue is a deceiving gauge of market conditions. Many top contractors reported record revenue for 2008 and they expect to finish out this year with strong numbers as they consume backlog built up in better times. But as jobs won during the boom reach completion, the reality of today’s troubled market is settling in, leaving large firms nervous about what late 2010 and 2011 could bring. Photo: McCarthy Competition is fierce for institutional projects like this renovation project at Carlsbad High School in California. Photo: Skanska Skanska is building a $220-million children’s hospital. Turner Construction Co., New York
Labor Day will be a mixed blessing in U.S. construction this year. Many workers will enjoy the day off, with employment secured by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. But others will see the holiday as a reminder of a frustrating job search and economic worry in a battered industry market that billions in federal stimulus may not be able to save. Slide Show Pike Industries Inc. paving crew working on a New Hampshire ARRA-funded highway job; the state mobilized quickly to get projects ready. President Barack Obama’s massive $787-billion stimulus package set an ambitious goal when enacted earlier this
Two years ago, the D.C. construction community was overwhelmed with opportunities and hard-pressed to find enough hands to take on work. Harkins Builders is currently building some of the few remaining major private projects moving forward in the District, including 2300 Pennsylvania Ave. SmithGroup partnered with Freelon Adjaye Bond to design the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It will take up to three years to design the $500-million project with construction to begin in 2012. The museum is scheduled to open in 2015. These days, many firms are burning backlog and hoping they can hold on until
A widespread adoption of lean techniques, integrated teaming and virtual design and construction could be the keys to improving productivity in the construction industry, according to a new report released by the National Research Council. The report, “Advancing the Competitiveness and Efficiency of the U.S. Construction Industry,” focuses on reducing waste in time, cost, materials, energy, skills and labor and offers recommendations on how to promote industry-wide adoption over the next 20 years. + Image Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of labor statistics Construction and non-farm labor productivity index “This is the most important topic in the industry right
