A complex, groundbreaking automated car elevator system, situated in the center of the $560-million, 60-story Porsche Design Tower project in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., is raising the bar on "sky garage" technology, and taking its builders on a memorable journey as contractors and engineers make accommodations for the massive system.
TOM MURPHYTom C. Murphy (top) and Sean Murphy were named co-presidents of Coastal Construction Group, Miami. Tom oversees business development, preconstruction services and owner contract negotiations.
The entrepreneurial "enterprise within an enterprise" approach that Cary, N.C.-based Kimley-Horn first implemented more than 40 years ago is proving to be a perfect fit for today's business environment. Built around the idea of "practice builders"—specialists in various design disciplines who are given greater freedom to cultivate their own niche markets and service areas—the concept is contributing to the firm's growing share of the current market's crop of increasingly complex projects. It is winning over owners who demand a higher level of engagement and innovation from their design consultants. Related Links: Southeast Top Design Firms Ranking Southeast Design Firms Making
Southeast design firms are for the most part making gains in business activity as the region's construction economy continues to improve. But while most of the engineering and architectural firms that participated in ENR Southeast's annual Top Design Firms survey reported increased revenue for 2014, gains were often modest. Related Links: Engineering News Record Architectural Record For instance, the group's collective 2014 revenue total of $3.3 billion marked a 10% improvement over last year's survey total of $3 billion. However, much of that increase can be attributed to AECOM's inclusion of new revenue resulting from its 2014 acquisition of URS
A Dept. of Energy-sanctioned report on plutonium disposition alternatives, citing uncertainties related to design and construction of the Mixed-Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility project in South Carolina, indicates shifting to a new approach would be less costly than continuing to pursue the MOX program.
C.W. Matthews Contracting Co., one of Georgia's largest roadbuilders, came to an agreement with the U.S. Federal Highway Administration to pay a $1-million fine as part of a settlement over false claims related to the disadvantaged-business-enterprise program. Related Links: McHugh Construction Pays $12M to Settle Federal, State DBE Charges Georgia Picks Archer Western, Hubbard Team for $840M Northwest Corridor P3 Project A federal investigation concluded that, from 2007 to 2010, the contractor filed "false and misleading" reports that work was performed by a certified DBE trucking firm when, in fact, a non-DBE firm had completed it.Under the agreement, the Marietta,
Construction is brisk in Texas and Louisiana. The region posted big increases for project starts in all sectors, particularly in energy, transportation and water infrastructure. The top 25 projects of 2014 totaled $28.9 billion, more than double the previous year's $12.5 billion. Related Links: ENR Texas & Louisiana Top Starts 2013 ENR Texas & Louisiana Top Starts 2012 "The market is robust, and there are a lot of opportunities in all segments, including mixed-use," says Jack Baxley, president and CEO of Dallas-Fort Worth-based TEXO, a commercial trade association of 1,400 general contractors, specialty contractors and suppliers in northern and eastern
One of New Orleans' most prominent developers is putting the finishing touches on the $100-million conversion of an abandoned 30-story office building into a 188-room hotel, 192 luxury apartments and a 365-space parking facility. The 53-year-old property, named 225 Baronne, is sited in the city's central business district. It is among several historic structures HRI Properties has converted to mixed-use developments. The intent is to "unlock their value," says Eddie Boettner, the firm's chief administrative officer. The project, he says, "saves 30 stories from the landfill." Related Links: Digging Deeper: $1B Project Legacy Rises in Tight Quarters Digging Deeper: Five-Part
A charter school system in Waxahachie, Texas, is constructing a state-of-the-art campus to meet the needs of its growing student body. The district broke ground in April 2014 on its seventh location, the Life School in south Dallas, which will serve 1,000 students. The new school will become a model for future projects in the rapidly growing district. Related Links: Digging Deeper: $1B Project Legacy Rises in Tight Quarters Digging Deeper: Five-Part Project to Ease New Orleans Flooding Staff and administrators were directly involved in the design and planning process to create a campus that exemplifies their teaching methods and
Kathy Berek has joined engineer-architect Burns & McDonnell as regional practice manager for a newly created water division in the firm's Houston office. Berek, who has more than 30 years of experience in industrial and municipal water fields, previously led programs for one of the state's largest water districts. She also is a member of the Austin-based Texas Water Conservation Association, chairs the ethics committee for the Construction Management Association of America and is a member of the diversity committee at the American Water Works Association. Related Links: ENR People ENR Top 25 Newsmakers Mike Mehno has joined the Dallas
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