The State Dept. closed out fiscal year 2013 with a flurry of large embassy construction contract awards in September—the fiscal year’s last month—including new construction and major renovations totaling $618.3 million in Europe, Africa, South America and New Zealand.

For all of FY 2013, which ended on Sept. 30, the department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) awarded $646 million in construction and renovation contracts, plus another $102.8 million in task orders.