California City Scoop: Construction Starts in San Diego
Before the COVID-19 crisis, value of new contracts was expected to rise 20% in 2020
Gains in non-residential and residential had been forecast to more than offset weakness in non-building.
City Grill
Mike Wolfe
Vice President
Kitchell
“The San Diego market remains steady despite economic uncertainty. Most of Kitchell’s projects, which are in the health care and higher education markets, have continued,” Wolfe says.
He notes that the firm’s Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center and parking structure project is moving forward and will top out in June.
Wolfe says Kitchell’s future relies on looking at different ways of building. “More offsite prefabrication allows for less exposure, and we are really working with our trade partners on supply chain issues,” he says. “This will change the way we look at building but offers an exciting challenge for the future.”
Wolfe says he expects measures deployed in response to the COVID-19 crisis will remain in place until a vaccine is developed and administered.
“There is no doubt that we will be impacted by this, not just for one quarter, but the reciprocal impacts will last for several months and likely years,” he says.
Nevertheless, Wolfe is optimistic that economic recovery and expansion will happen faster than in the previous recession.
