The Design-Build Conference & Expo will take place in Las Vegas from Nov. 2 to 4 and will feature a panel discussion hosted by the Design-Build Institute of America. The discussion will feature DBIA leaders as well as industry experts from The American Institute of Architects; The Associated Builders and Contractors; The Associated General Contractors of America; The Building Owners and Managers Association International; The Canadian Design-Build Institute; and The National Society of Professional Engineers.

 

The panel will address several topics related to the changes and challenges facing the industry, including the potential effects the upcoming election, on Nov. 4 from 8 to 9:30 a.m in the Augustus Ballroom at Caesar’s Palace.

 

Additionally, panelists will discuss the similarities and differences between public-private partnerships in the U.S. and Canada with Samuel (Uel) McFall of the Canadian Design-Build Institute.

 

"Working more closely and collaboratively with the broadest array of industry leaders from allied organizations has been a goal of mine this year," said G. William Quatman, DBIA chairman and general counsel at Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co., Inc., in a press release.

 

Panelists participating in the talk include Quatman; B.E. Stewart, Jr., AGC Board vice president and president of Caddell Construction Co., Inc.;Brian H. Harnetiaux, BOMA chairman and chair and chief elected officer at McCarthy Cook & Co.; Kodi Jean Verhalen, NSPE president and associate at Briggs and Morgan, P.A.; David J. Chapin, ABC chairman and president at Willmar Electric Service; Carl Elefante, 2017 first vice president of AIA and principal at Quinn Evans Architects; and McFall, CDBI chair and director of construction services at Deltro Group Ltd.

 

Sundt Construction, Inc. recently received the 2016 W. Burr Bennett Award for Safety Excellence from the American Society of Concrete Contractors. The association recognizes one general contractor and one specialty contractor with the award at its annual conference.

 

It is the second safety award given to the Tempe, Ariz.-based company this year after the Associated General Contractors of America named Sundt the country’s safest construction company of 2015 in March.

 

“This is not only a reflection of Sundt’s positive safety culture at work but its commitment to protecting each and every Sundt employee,” says Sundt Concrete Division Manager Stew Grauer in a press release. “Sundt put in more than 3.5 million hours in 2015 and had just a handful of recordable incidents.”

 

Southern Nevada Strong recently brought together community leaders, government officials and others at its summit to discuss the ways in which the organization’s regional plan has benefited communities in Nevada over the past year.

 

SNS’s federally-recognized regional plan provides a blueprint for developing communities that have access to housing choices, quality education, competitive jobs and transportation options. The summit featured over 130 regional leaders, including Southern Nevada Health District Chief Health Officer Dr. Joseph Iser, City of North Las Vegas Assistant City Manager Ryann Juden, Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development Director Steve Hill and more.

 

“With more than two million people living in Southern Nevada and projections close to three million residents by 2045, we came to the quick realization that we are getting bigger and we need to get stronger,” says SNS Steering Committee Chair and City of Henderson Councilwoman Debra March. “For the last year, we have worked together to take the strategies identified in the regional plan and turn them into reality, to ultimately create a stronger and happier Southern Nevada.”

 

Keynote speaker and author Charles Montgomery pointed to research that shows people are happier in walkable communities and talked on the ways that community design can positively affect residents. He also addressed some of the region’s challenges, such as the trend of building neighborhoods away from the core of the community.

 

Other topics included some of the region's largest economic boons from the past year including Faraday Future’s new $1 billion factory in Nevada and the creation of the APEX Industrial Park in North Las Vegas.

 

The summit also focused on increasing access throughout the region to quality healthcare, health food choices and the elimination of food deserts and the addition of 47 new bike lanes, 89 miles of bike facilities and 23 miles of new multi-use trails in Las Vegas.

 

MGM Resorts International will unveil the $100-million Park Theater at Monte Carlo Las Vegas in December. The 5,300-seat venue was one of several major projects undertaken by MGM that led ENR Southwest to name the company Owner of the Year last year.

 

The flexible venue will host concerts, conferences and other large events. It features a custom 4K-resolution LED wall that is about 80 feet wide and 40 feet tall and telescopic retractable seating.

 

The Park Theater’s December schedule includes performances by Stevie Nicks, Bruno Mars and Cher.

 

Engineering and land development firm Kimley-Horn moved to further its reach in the Las Vegas market by acquiring Las Vegas-based Walker Engineering. Walker Engineering is a three-time NAIOP Southern Nevada Engineering Firm of the Year primarily focuses on commercial, industrial, retail, and military land development projects.

 

“It’s a great match—our cultures are both highly focused on providing our clients with an exceptional service experience, and the combination of our resources will give the clients of both firms even greater service as well as an additional depth of resources,” says current Walker Engineering President Jody Walker Belsick in a press release. “I am confident that as our clients learn more about Kimley-Horn, the same conclusion will be reached—that this is a natural fit.”

 

Kimley-Horn currently operates over 70 offices in 21 states across the U.S.

 

In October, the first phase of construction began on the new $12.9 million Western Maricopa Education Center in Surprise, Ariz. The phase will conclude in the summer of 2017 and includes the construction of a 42,000 sq ft administration and classroom building. The West-MEC campus will serve 200 students went it opens next fall.

 

General contractor McCarthy Building Company will work on the project in conjunction with SPS+ Architects and Architechnology.

 

Plans exist for another three phases of construction; however, they largely rely on the results of a bond election. A portion of the potential $141 million bond would provide for additional programs at the West-MEC Northwest Campus as well as the construction of a community gathering space with a 300-person capacity.