Last year, a joint venture of W.M. Jordan of Newport News, Va., and McCarthy Building of St Louis broke ground on an $83-million renovation project at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News. In addition to renovating the existing hospital, a new parking garage is being built.

Mortenson Construction of Milwaukee continues work on the $275-million Martha Jefferson Hospital replacement in Charlottesville, which broke ground in July 2008. Kahler Slater designed the 176-bed, 452,710-sq-ft, six-level hospital, which will complete in 2012.

Nason Construction of Salisbury, Md., landed it first Virginia project in July, signing a $3.6-million contract to build a 21,000-sq-ft medical office building in Olney for the Eastern Shore Rural Health System.

In the education market, Taylor & Parrish of Richmond broke ground on the $16.5-million 44,000-sq-ft Carole Weinstein International Center at the University of Richmond last year. Completion is scheduled for the fall.

Several school districts broke ground on new facilities in early 2009. Kenbridge Construction Co. of Kenbridge, Va., began construction of the new $30.4-million Orange County Middle School in January 2009. Completion of the 170,000-sq-ft project designed by Moseley Architects is set for October.

Also in January 2009, Branch & Associates of Roanoke broke ground on the new $18.7-million Shawsville Elementary School in Shawsville, Va. The project is schedule to complete in May.

KBS of Richmond broke ground on the $51.5-million Henrico County High School #1 in Richmond. The two-story, 255,000-sq-ft facility will complete in June.

Steve Satterfield, vice president of preconstruction services at KBS, says that although the K-12 market has been...