Fast-growing University of Phoenix is expanding its hometown presence. The 34-year-old private education giant plans to soon occupy 439,070 sq ft inside two new midrise office and classroom buildings in Tempe in suburban Phoenix. Metro Commercial Properties, Tempe, is developing the build-to-suit project along with San Antonio-based USAA Real Estate Co. The six- and 10-story buildings are going up on 11.33 acres inside the 170-acre mixed-use, master-planned Fountainhead Corporate Park near Priest Drive and Broadway Road. There is also a six-level, 1,885-space precast concrete parking structure. The concrete, post-tensioned, cast-in-place office buildings and accompanying garage are being built by Tempe-based
Arizona officials have enacted new “prompt pay” rules to keep cash flowing to struggling contractors, caught by banks and developers that have been withholding project payments in tough times. Gov. Janice K. Brewer (R) on May 11 signed into law a bill establishing retainage and final-payment timetables for properly completed construction work. Failure to comply results in penalties of 1.5% monthly interest charges. “Retention issues should be dealt with immediately and not be dragged out for cash-flow purposes, ” says Michael F. Markham Sr., president of Markham Contracting Co. Inc., Phoenix. “The banks have been a problem with this. They
Arizona’s newly enacted immigration law, which was meant to stem human trafficking and drug-related border violence, could have long-term consequences for the state’s flagging construction industry, in which employment is down 20% from a year ago. Photo: AP/Wideworld Construction employers worry they will be held responsible if workers are found to be undocumented. On April 23, Republican Gov. Janice K. Brewer signed into law Senate Bill 1070, which allows police to detain individuals under “reasonable suspicion” of being an illegal alien. Failure to prove citizenship may result in arrest and a $500 fine. The law has sparked nationwide protests and
When the owner of CityCenter finally ended its relationship with contractor Perini Building Co., the last scene involved security staff escorting the contractor’s personnel off-site and then changing the locks. Like a bad divorce, this one could get expensive. Related Links: Korte Awarded Nevada Cancer Institute Project United Construction Begins Work on WMS Gaming Offices On March 25, Perini filed a lawsuit in Nevada state court against several entities controlled by CityCenter’s owner, MGM Mirage Inc. and Infinity World Development Corp., a unit of Dubai World, for $490 million in unpaid invoices. “We are doing whatever we have to do
Work has started on the $41-million, 15-mi ACE Green Line, a new commuter transit line connecting Henderson, Nev., with downtown Las Vegas. Image: RTC/IBI Group The Green Line’s 23 open-air stations will each feature double-helix-shaped, steel shade canopies above metal seats plus ticket and vending machines. The platform is elevated so that passengers will be able to enter and exit the buses without navigating a gap. Image: RTC The transit system uses 104-passenger, electric/diesel-powered buses manufactured by Northern Ireland-based The Wright Group. The 33-ton StreetCar RTV model has a design reminiscent of light-rail vehicles. Related Links: Building in the Fast
When the owner of CityCenter finally ended its relationship with contractor Perini Building Co., the last scene involved security staff escorting the contractor�s personnel off-site and then changing the locks. Like a bad divorce, this one could get expensive. Photo: MGM Mirage What happened in Las Vegas on the CityCenter project ended up in court. On March 25, Perini filed a lawsuit in Nevada state court against several entities controlled by CityCenter�s owner, MGM Mirage Inc. and Infinity World Development Corp., a unit of Dubai World, for $490 million in unpaid invoices. �We are doing whatever we have to do
The government is widening a whistle-blower probe into the safety of northern Nevada’s 8.5-mile-long Interstate 580 extension between Reno and Carson City, following the discovery of a hairline crack in one of its bridges. Photo: Nevada DOT Authorities are probing a hairline crack on the record-setting cathedral-arch bridge in Nevada. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on March 24 directed U.S. Dept. of Transportation Inspector General Calvin L. Scovel to expand his investigation of the project’s final leg to include the 1,722-ft-long, 295-ft-tall Galena Creek Bridge. It will be North America’s longest cathedral-arch bridge when completed in fall 2011. Dickinson,
Las Vegas� $8.5-billion CityCenter development � the country�s largest privately backed project � may soon have the country�s largest mechanic�s lien. Tutor Perini Corp., Sylmar, Calif., recently notified co-developers MGM Mirage Inc., Las Vegas, and Infinity World Development Corp., that it planned to file a $492-million mechanic�s lien on the seven-building, 18-million-sq-ft complex of hotels, homes and entertainment space. The news was disclosed in a Mar. 12 MGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM) Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Photo courtesy of CityCenter Land LLC The closeout of CityCenter, the country�s biggest private project, may get complicated. Related Links: Strip Superstar: CityCenter makes
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, claims that a three-year-old student recreation facility at its main campus fails to meet some seismic requirements under the 2002 Uniform Building Code. The structure remains open, but a warning notice is posted. Photo: Luetta Callaway Investigator alleges differences between flexible and rigid components cause problems. Designed by the Phoenix office of DMJM Design, a unit of AECOM, with St. Louis-based Hastings+Chivetta Architects Inc., the building is likely to end up in court. Bennett & Jimenez Inc., Las Vegas, which has since shut down, was the structural engineer. Phoenix-based Kitchell Contractors was the construction
Foreclosures, unemployment, tighter lending and unstable prices weigh heavily on the commercial housing sector, but falling demand has not had a similar effect on the cost of materials. Photo: Pulte Corp. Production cuts at U.S. and Canada mills propelled a 40% price increase since 2009. Related Links: Economics: Despite Upturn in Steel, Lumber and Energy Prices Deflation Sweeps Cost Index Board Markets: Survey Shows Contractor Confidence Slowly Rising Glass: Recession Shatters Prices, More Cuts Expected During 2010 Executive Pay: Key Players Dodge Salary and Bonus Squeeze Methodolgy: What is Driving Costs ENR's Complete First Quarterly Cost Report 2010 City Indexes: