New York State has passed legislation to allow design-build project delivery for certain infrastructure projects. Industry groups, including the Design-Build Institute of America, praised the measure. Under the law, several state agencies—the N.Y. State Dept. of Environmental Conservation; Dept. of Transportation; Thruway Authority; Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; and Bridge Authority—are now authorized to use design-build. The law, which creates the New York Works Infrastructure Fund, is part of a broader economic package aimed at job creation and tax reduction for the middle class. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) unveiled the program Dec. 6. The law is set
ESPN and its $100-million digital center under construction at its Bristol headquarters are in the spotlight once again after a protest this morning by about 100 Connecticut union construction workers. Among concerns for the protest organizer, the Connecticut Laborers' District Council, are that ESPN allegedly is using non-union contractors for the majority of work and that it is using out-of-state contractors. Photo by Ralph A. Inorio The district council has held protests at the 193,000-sq-ft project site since October, alleging that the general manager on the project, Associated Construction Company, Hartford, and site contractor, Mizzy Construction, Plainville, Conn., are non-union
Plans for constructing a new train station in Midtown Manhattan's Farley Post Office building progressed further this week as the Moynihan Station Development Corp. awarded a $19-million contract as part of the project's first phase. Under the contract, a joint venture of AECOM, its Tishman Construction unit, and STV will provide construction management services and rail expertise including design reviews, construction staging, and facility planning for the Moynihan Station project, which will expand Pennsylvania Station. Rendering Courtesy of Moynihan Station Development Corp. The first phase includes building a train shed through the expansion and enhancing the 33rd Street Connector between
Cruz Contractors, Holmdel, N.J., has officially broken ground on the first phase of a $150-million, 62-acre New York City Economic Development Corp. redevelopment project at Willets Point in Queens. The $50-million first phase is for remediation and redevelopment and includes construction of a sanitary sewer main and reconstruction of a storm sewer and outfall. This phase is in line with PlaNYC’s goal of improving the quality of the city’s waterways and is the first step in the remediation of the long-contaminated Willets Point site, connecting the area to the city grid for the first time, EDC says. Rendering Courtesy of
The Mattabassett, Conn. District is scheduled to vote on December 19 on whether to approve C.H. Nickerson of Torrington, Conn., to upgrade and expand the regional sewer district’s 35-million-gallon/day wastewater treatment plant in Cromwell. Nickerson, the lowest bidder for the project, bid $93.5 million. Rendering Courtesy of Wright-Pierce Construction on the Mattabassett District's planned WTP upgrade could begin as early as March 2012. If Nickerson is approved, construction could begin as early as March 2012, says Brian Armet, the district’s executive director. If it is not approved, the district would lose a state grant covering 22.9% of project costs and
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approved a $7-billion preliminary budget last week that covers operating and capital expenses for 2012. The budget is subject to ongoing review and an internal audit, the agency says. Capital spending will account for $3.66 billion of the budget. This includes funding for improvements to transportation facilities including airports, bridges, tunnels, and Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) trains. It also includes a continuation of funding to the World Trade Center project.The agency’s 10-year capital budget is $25 billion with about $10.7 billion of that dedicated to its interstate transportation network, an agency
The American Automobile Association and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey met in a Manhattan federal court hearing Dec. 8 to present arguments in the trade group’s September lawsuit against the agency’s use of toll and transit fare hike revenue to fund development projects, such as the World Trade Center rebuild. Image: iStock Photo In its argument, AAA made reference to the authority’s changed stance in recent statements that indicate the agency would not use the revenue for non-transportation projects.The Port Authority "shamelessly used 9/11 as part of the justification for the toll hike, and now it's
The American Institute of Architects and Associated Builders and Contractors, including their New York, New Jersey and Connecticut branches, have partnered up to offer discounts to ABC members on software. The associations signed a two-year contract that offers a 10% discount to ABC members on all new AIA Contract Documents software license and access to AIA’s educational programs. In addition, existing AIA Contract Documents customers will receive a 10% discount on software renewals. “We believe this partnership will provide value to ABC members by giving them access to more resources to help them win work and deliver that work safely
Year-over-year construction employment in the tristate region rose slightly, following a broader national trend, according to the Associated General Contractors of America's latest analysis of Dept. of Labor data. Construction employment rose in half the states and decreased in the other half during the past year, closely matching the stable national employment picture, AGC says. The even split reflects the accelerating improvement in apartment and private nonresidential construction, offset by a declining public market and stalled single-family sector, it adds.Job gains nationwide are likely to remain spotty for months to come, however, says Ken Simonson, AGC's chief economist.In Connecticut, industry
Like a well-worn roadway, old hospitals and technology may get the job done, but they are not ideal—especially for an aging population increasingly reliant on state-of-the-art treatment facilities. While the country is full of infrastructure in need of an upgrade, at least one state—Connecticut—is poised to bring its hospital and health-care sector into the 21st century with advanced medicine and facilities to match. Analysts say that with more than $1 billion of expansions and new building planned during the next six years, the state's hospital and health-care sector may be well-positioned to throw a lifeline to the ailing construction industry.
RSS