Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed SB 1307 Tuesday night in an attempt to counter a 2012 bill and prevent the Occupational Safety and Health Administration from asserting its federal oversight role over all industries in Arizona — including residential and commercial construction — but only time will tell whether it will be enough. Mark Minter, executive director of the Arizona Builders Alliance says SB 1307 is a “conditional repeal” action of SB 1441, passed in 2012, that will only go into effect if OSHA follows through on a “show cause” letter delivered to the Industrial Commission of Arizona in March.
It’s smart to hedge high-risk bets, especially in Las Vegas. The Southern Nevada Water Authority did just that by buying a builder’s risk policy prior for the $817 million third intake project at Lake Mead. Backed by a half dozen reinsurers, the policy offers up to $650 million in loss coverage on a $10 million premium. The water authority bought it from Lloyd’s of London through Marsh LLC, New York City, after a year of discussion and research.Insurance proved a prudent bet as the project has grappled with flooding delays, cost overruns and a worker fatality. The agency last month
New methods of project delivery are changing the face of project procurement. But what is the role of small or medium-size regional contractors in alternative project delivery (APD)? While the newer methods were initially used primarily on large projects, more and more owners are seeing the value of APD on smaller projects as well. APD allows owners more flexibility to accelerate the project time line, identify and mitigate risks, incorporate greater innovation and receive the overall best value. Related Links: Dramatic Increase in the Use of BIM W.W. Clyde Awarded Two Major Projects APD is a growing industry trend. Yet
The construction job count edged upward in Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada during the month of February. In Arizona, there were about 126,000 construction jobs in February up from 125,500 in January, reflecting a 3.6% year-over-year increase on the month. The state’s overall unemployment rate was 7.3% in February, down from 7.5% in January. Arizona’s civilian labor force numbered about 3,006,200, up from 3,004,300 in January.“In Arizona, job growth in particular with regard to construction, statewide we are seeing a bit of a bounceback in the construction industry,” said Robert Carreira of southeast Arizona’s Center for Economic Research at Cochise
From December to January, construction jobs were slightly down in Nevada and Arizona, and slightly up in New Mexico, according to statistics made public this week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In Nevada, there were about 59,500 jobs in January up from 58,300 jobs in December, and reflecting a 4.4% year-over-year increase on the month. The state’s overall unemployment rate was 8.7% in January, down from 9% December. Nevada’s civilian labor force numbered 1,367,600 in January, up from 1,364,700 in December.In Arizona, there were about 125,000 construction jobs in January, down from 125,300 construction jobs in December, while
Top 2013 Starts In The southwest Rank Project / Location ProjectCost ($ mil.) Start Date / End Date Project Team 1 Copper Mountain Solar Phase 3 Boulder City, Nev. 700 Aug. 2013
Aug. 2015 Owner Sempra U.S. Gas & Power, San Diego
Design and Construction AMEC, London 2 El Cabo Wind Power Farm Torrance County, N.M. 450 Dec. 2013
2023 Owner/GC Iberdrola Renewables Inc., Portland, Ore. 3 SLS Hotel/Casino Las Vegas 415 June 2013
Oct. 2014 Owner SBE Hotel Group, Los Angeles
Design Gensler, Las Vegas
GC The Penta Building Group, Las Vegas 4 Marina Heights Tempe, Ariz. 300 Dec.
In the desert just outside Santa Teresa, N.M., a 12-mile-long, $400-million railroad service and intermodal facility is nearing the end of construction. The Strauss Rail Yard is the first new yard to be developed by Union Pacific Railroad in nearly a century, and it is big. Related Links: Engineering News Record Architectural Record "There really is nothing to compare it to. This has been a real renaissance," says Zoe Richmond, director of public affairs for Union Pacific's Phoenix office. "Trains have gotten a lot more efficient, but they are also a lot longer."Driven by an inability to expand its landlocked
The combined value of the 25 largest projects to break ground in the Southwest in 2013 totaled $3.72 billion—a slight uptick from $3.7 billion in 2012. The Top Starts list, compiled from information provided in part by McGraw Hill Construction, shows that the region is on a growth trend once again, thanks to Nevada and Las Vegas. Related Links: 2013 Top Starts List View the Southwest's 2012 Top Starts List On this year's list, three of the top seven projects are in Clark County, Nev.—Copper Mountain Solar in Boulder City and SLS Hotel & Casino and The Cromwell in Las
Bob Harper, vice president of Gilbane Building Co., has rejoined the firm's business unit in Phoenix as senior business development manager after three years in Houston. He has worked at Gilbane for 44 years.Harper Related Links: Engineering News Record Architectural Record Edward "Ned" McKnight has joined Shepley Bulfinch as a senior member of its health care design practice in Phoenix. McKnight is a member of the American Institute of Architects.Paul Kinne has returned to Panattoni Development Co. as development manager in Reno. He had been vice president of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada and had been at Panattoni
As the largest and most diverse municipality in the Southwest, the city of Phoenix has pushed the boundaries of development and construction. As an owner, the city has worked with nearly every construction firm in the Southwest and has influenced scores of others with its drive to collaborate and streamline its construction processes.
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