Habitat for Humanity personnel helped install the roof decking. “We framed it and sheathed it; the day I was there, we did a good bit of painting, but it was mostly exterior work,” said Brad Stolz, JE Dunn’s program build captain.

“The speed itself was impressive,” he added. “Just going from a slab to finishing on Friday with it at least being dried in and all the landscaping was done—to do all that in five days was pretty crazy.”

The fifth day of home-building was slowed by rain, but the JE Dunn crew persevered.

“To go from slab to a completed exterior in just five days, even with a rain delay, was incredible to witness and a testament to the effort and energy this group brought every day,” said Stolz.

“These homes represent more than walls and roofs,” noted Lee Jarboe, JE Dunn vice president. “They create the opportunity for families to flourish and for Atlanta to be part of something truly special.

“Seeing volunteers, partners and community members come together around a shared purpose is a powerful reminder of what can happen when a city invests in its people and its future,” he added.

“It is rewarding to be able to give back to the community,” Stolz said. “Homeownership does not come as easy for everyone as it has for a lot of people I work with. To be able to provide them that opportunity to own a home, especially in a time when the gap has widened to be able to do that, it’s important.”

Habitat for Humanity describes the Langston Park neighborhood—which will be comprised of a mix of single-family homes, duplexes and townhomes—as a “bold step forward in expanding affordable homeownership, introducing modern, sustainable townhome-style living for the first time in Atlanta Habitat’s history.”

The neighborhood will accommodate 68 families once it is completed.

 

Parkhill Acquires Engineer Graham Associates

Civil engineering and surveying firm Graham Associates has joined multidisciplinary firm Parkhill, expanding its presence across the Dallas-Fort Worth region. The acquisition completion expands Parkhill’s regional team to more than 200 professionals in Arlington, Fort Worth and Frisco. Founded in 1972, Graham Associates has delivered projects including Globe Life Park, AT&T Stadium and the National Medal of Honor Museum. Parkhill, operating for more than 80 years with 15 offices in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, serves markets including land development, water, transportation, aviation, municipal facilities, education and health care.

 

BlackRock Commits $30M To Texas Workforce

Infrastructure investment firm BlackRock has announced a $30-million investment in Texas through its Future Builders initiative, aimed at training more than 12,000 residents for construction careers in the electrical industry over three years.

The program will partner with the IBEW-NECA electrical training Alliance, Independent Electrical Contractors of Dallas, Texas State Technical College and Dallas College to expand pre-apprenticeship programs, journey-level exam prep and financial education for workers entering building trades. Federal data shows Texas accounts for the largest share of U.S. power generation and is experiencing the fastest demand growth.

Through the initiative, the Electrical Training Alliance will launch a statewide pre-apprenticeship bootcamp; IEC of Dallas will introduce an 80-hour safety and hands-on training program with a direct pathway to registered apprenticeship; Texas State Technical College will establish a new Associate of Applied Science in Electrical Technology program in Waco; and Dallas College will develop a financial education course tailored to electricians.

 

A.M. King Completes Fourth Cheney Brothers Facility

A.M. King has completed design and construction of a 386,047-sq-ft refrigerated distribution facility in Florence, S.C., for Cheney Brothers, the fourth major project the design-build firm has delivered for the food distributor. Located in the Pee Dee Commerce City East Industrial Park, the facility includes 45 loading docks, 90,095 sq ft of freezer space and the company’s first robotic forklift battery exchanger carousel. King also has a 78,000-sq-ft USDA-certified food processing facility under construction for Cheney Brothers in Pompano Beach, Fla.

 

FabArc Steel Fabricating for Daisy Brand Facility

FabArc Steel Supply, Alabama’s largest steel subcontractor, has begun fabricating more than 3,800 tons of structural steel for a 286,802-sq-ft food manufacturing facility in Boone, Iowa, for Daisy Brand. The Dennis Group is serving as the design-build partner. FabArc’s scope includes 670 columns, 4,628 beams, 444 vertical braces, 691 horizontal braces and 936 joists.

 

RMF Engineering Supports USC Brain Health Center

RMF Engineering provided MEP and fire protection design for the University of South Carolina’s new 65,000-sq-ft Brain Health Center in Columbia, which has opened on its health sciences campus. The outpatient facility includes 16 exam and treatment rooms, an eight-bay infusion room and South Carolina’s first 7-Tesla MRI scanner, more than twice as powerful as standard scanners. The center is the hub of the university’s statewide Brain Health Network, covering seven underserved state areas. Hood Construction Co. built the project, designed by Quackenbush Architects + Planners and Perkins & Will. The facility is pursuing a Two Globes rating under the Green Globes certification system.

 

Related Ross Advances $120M Phillips Point Project

Developer Related Ross has committed $1 million to upgrades at Trinity Park in West Palm Beach as part of a $120-million transformation of Phillips Point, a two-tower office complex originally completed in 1985. Designed by Roger Ferris + Partners, the project includes upgrades, infrastructure improvements and new ground-floor restaurant space. The east tower’s limestone-inspired facade is nearing completion, and remaining curtain wall elements are set to finish by end of May. Both towers are more than 90% leased.

 

AJF Roofing, Siplast Wrap Mutiny Hotel Renovation

AJF Roofing has completed a 15,300-sq-ft roof renovation at the Mutiny Hotel in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood, partnering with manufacturer Siplast on the project. The renovation required navigating a constrained site between neighboring buildings while preserving the architectural character of the hotel’s original 1960s roofline. The project incorporated Siplast’s Paradiene SBS roof membranes, Parapro roof membrane and Parapro 123 flashing system, along with Hanover concrete pavers. The Mutiny is owned by Coastal Hotel Group and Provident Hotels & Resorts.