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Contractors recently broke ground on a $115 million retail project at Ambassador Town Center in Lafayette, La.  The shopping center will be segmented into four quadrants with more than 425,000 square feet of retail space spread out over 58 acres. The project is being constructed by a joint venture between Stirling Properties and CBL & Associates Properties, one of the country's largest developers and owners of shopping centers. Stirling Properties Senior Leasing Consultant Ryan Pecot says the center is being constructed on a 120-acre parcel of clear land at one of the city's busiest intersections. Construction is being divided into two segments,

Many of the industry trends to watch in 2015 will be the same as those in 2014, says Brian Freeman, executive vice president at Skanska in San Antonio. "Health care, hospitality, school construction—those markets will remain solid and even see some uptick this year," he says. Related Links: Five Trends to Watch in 2014 Residential and multifamily are also showing strength, while the public sector and higher education are lagging, says Charlie Buescher, vice president of business development for McCarthy Building Cos.Given the number of 2014 project starts in Texas and Louisiana, the region's building markets are healthy. According to

It's no easy task to construct more than a million sq ft of hospital facilities spread out over 12 city blocks. It's even more difficult when that hospital has to be meticulously designed and constructed from the ground up to withstand high winds and storm surge from a major hurricane. Related Links: Project Legacy NBBJ Clark/McCarthy Healthcare Partners Now more than 60% complete, the new Veterans Affairs Hospital in New Orleans will be one of the most hurricane-resistant medical facilities in the nation. Built to withstand 129 mph winds and 19-ft floodwaters, the facility will be able to operate on

ARCHERAllyn L. Archer retired as president and chief operating officer at HOLT CAT as of Dec. 31. He spent 43 years with the company and became president and COO in 1995. Related Links: People: December 2014 People: October 2014 HOLT CAT executive vice president and general manager David Harris has succeeded Archer, effective Jan. 1.Meanwhile, Robert "Bert" Fulgium has been named vice president of product support for HOLT CAT's machine division.Michael Latiolais has been appointed CFO of ISC Constructors LLC following the retirement of Steve McNeal.Bartlett Cocke General Contractors has promoted the following people: Tally J. "TJ" Rogers, vice president

Ben Houston's 60-plus-year career has been filled with many remarkable projects, accolades and achievements, but he says he's most proud of the people he's worked with during his career. Giving people credit for their effort has been one of his key tenants through his years in construction. "The people who really make the difference are the people who put the work in. Having a trusting relationship throughout the whole chain is by far the most important thing," Houston says. "The folks who put the work in place are the real heroes of our industry. So treating each other with something

With the Florida Dept. of Transportation's approval last month of the start of construction of the $2.3-billion I-4 Ultimate project in Orlando, state officials—led by Gov. Rick Scott (R)—held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the state's largest-ever public-private partnership.

After project budget constraints caused all four short-listed bidders to drop out of a design-build competition for a $520-million convention center renovation contract, the city of Miami Beach, Fla., is scrapping the approach in favor of soliciting a new round of proposals for a construction manager-at-risk firm.The Feb. 11 decision by the Miami Beach city commission came about after the last remaining bidder, Clark Construction, informed officials in early February that it also could not deliver the 1.4-million-sq-ft renovation within the city's budget without significant deviations from the program. The other three short-listed bidders—Hensel Phelps Construction, Hunt Construction Group and

Developed and built primarily as a testing and research center for wind-turbine drivetrains, Clemson University's Energy Innovation Center in North Charleston, S.C., is still ramping up operations. However, it's already producing results, says Nikolaos Rigas, the facility's director and the guiding force behind the unique test center's development. Powered by two massive test beds, with capacities of 7.5 MW and 15 MW, respectively, the center's test equipment uses unique engineering to put wind-turbine drivetrain manufacturers' latest designs through a simulation of 20 years of field conditions in just six months. Photo courtesy Clemson University Restoration Institute Nikolaos Rigas, director of

The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority broke ground in late January on a $41.5 million addition to the city's streetcar system. Courtesy of the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority's $41.5 million addition to the city's streetcar system will add 3.2 miles of tracks on a 1.6-mile route. The project will add 3.2 miles of tracks on a 1.6-mile route running from the base of the Central Business District to Elysian Fields Avenue.Archer Western Construction of Chicago is the general contractor on the project and will perform 9,500 linear feet of utility relocations, asphalt and