he Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had improved in February, declined in March. The index now stands at 59.7 (1985=100), down from 68.0 in February. The Present Situation Index decreased to 57.9 from 61.4. The Expectations Index declined to 60.9 from 72.4 last month. Consumers’ appraisal of current conditions declined in March. Those saying business conditions are “good” decreased to 16.0% from 17.6%, while those stating business conditions are “bad” increased to 29.3% from 28.2%. Consumers’ assessment of the labor market was mixed. Those claiming jobs are “plentiful” decreased to 9.4% from 10.1%, but those claiming jobs are “hard
A team of Colorado businesses joined local officials in late March to break ground on a new $125-million water treatment plant in El Paso County as part of the Southern Delivery System (SDS) water project. Courtesy of SDS A team of Colorado firms recently broke ground on a new $125-million water treatment plant in El Paso County as part of the Southern Delivery System water project. Construction of the new plant is providing significant work for area businesses that participated in a shovel ceremony to mark the start of construction on the single largest SDS component. The water treatment plant
With increasing demand for design services, the Architecture Billings Index is continuing to strengthen. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects reported the February ABI score was 54.9, up slightly from a mark of 54.2 in January. This score reflects a strong increase in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 64.8, higher than the reading of 63.2 the previous month – and its highest mark
At a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $435.4 billion, new construction starts in February dropped 7% from the previous month, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Cos. The loss of momentum was present in two of construction’s three main sectors – nonresidential building and nonbuilding construction (public works and electric utilities). Meanwhile, the housing sector in February continued to strengthen. For the first two months of 2013, total construction starts on an unadjusted basis came in at $62.4 billion, up 5% from the same period a year ago. The February statistics lowered the Dodge Index to 92
In 1910, when partners in the Granite Furniture Co. built their first store in the Sugar House area of southeast Salt Lake City, the neighborhood was poised to grow into a vibrant part of the city. Named for a processing facility built by Mormon pioneers who hoped to make sugar from sugar beets grown in the Salt Lake Valley, the neighborhood also was served by a new rail spur that delivered goods to its growing commercial center. Three large furniture stores made up "furniture row" near the intersection of key arteries. Related Links: ENR Mountain States: Highway Expansion in Salt
Denver's landmark Union Station forms the core of a massive regional transit redevelopment project, and when the interior of the 1881 building is refurbished in a separate $50-million job, it will also become the heart of a new neighborhood. Related Links: ENR Mountain States: Alta City House Apts. The 150,000-sq-ft, three-story stone structure is being converted into a 112-room boutique hotel. The station's Great Hall, with its 67-ft-high ceiling and white marble walls, will become "Denver's new living room," according to developers. A granite plaza in front of the station, connecting it to the street, will include extensive landscaping. Work
Construction is well along on the third and final phase of the sprawling $500-million effort to transform Denver Union Station into a multimodal transportation hub for the Mountain West region. Contractors expect to finish the project in about a year. Related Links: ENR Mountain States: Kiewit & I-225 Light Rail The Union Station design-build project, which stretches over 40 acres in downtown Denver's Central Platte Valley, is being done under the aegis of the Denver Union Station Project Authority as owner. The redevelopment is part of metro Denver's multibillion-dollar FasTracks transit project, one of the largest and most complex U.S.
VASSILIADISRosemary A. Vassiliadis was appointed as director of the Clark County Dept. of Aviation. She is the first woman to serve in the role, managing 1,500 employees across several airports, including McCarran International Airport. Vassiliadis previously served as the department's deputy director since 1997. A native of Chicago, Vassiliadis earned a bachelor's degree in accountancy from DePaul University. Related Links: Read Other People Stories in the Southwest Upload Your Own People Photos to ENR Southwest's People Gallery The Arizona Builders' Alliance in Phoenix named Lorraine Bergman as its new president. Bergman, president of Phoenix-based Caliente Construction, will serve a
First Solar Inc. is lighting up the renewable energy market. The Tempe, Ariz.-based company recorded $3.4 billion in net sales in 2012, up $600 million from the prior year.
Construction employment increased in 145 out of 339 metropolitan areas between January 2012 and January 2013, declined in 141 and was stagnant in 53, according to a new analysis of federal employment data recently released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that after years of declining construction employment contractors in some metro areas are beginning to worry about the availability of skilled workers now that they have resumed hiring. “Not only are a slight plurality of metro areas adding construction jobs, but those areas appear to be adding jobs at a faster rate than places where
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