The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index, which had declined sharply in August, remained essentially unchanged in September. The index now stands at 45.4 (1985=100), up slightly from 45.2 in August. The Present Situation Index decreased to 32.5 from 34.3. The Expectations Index edged up to 54.0 from 52.4 last month.Consumers’ assessment of current conditions weakened further in September. Those claiming business conditions are “good” decreased to 11.7% from 14.1%, while those claiming business conditions are “bad” remained virtually unchanged at 40.4%.Consumers’ appraisal of employment conditions, however, was mixed. Those claiming jobs are “hard to get” increased to 50.0% from 48.5%,
At its early October meeting, the Denver Board of Water Commissioners voted to increase water rates for 2012 to provide funding for the utility’s capital projects. The new water rates will take effect in January and will help the utility stay on top of projects to address its aging infrastructure. The water rates for 2012 will reflect a 5.5% increase for all customers. Denver Water says the effects of the proposed changes on customer bills will vary depending upon the amount of water the customer uses and whether the customer lives in Denver or is served by a suburban distributor
The Fort Collins-Loveland, Colo., Airport will receive a $221,500 grant from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation to develop a program that will allow travelers checking in there to change planes at Denver International Airport without undergoing further security screening. The airport was selected as one of 29 other airports out of 70 total applicants competing for funding made available through the Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP). The money is targeted specifically to develop the “wingless flight program,” as well as enhance the airport’s ability to understand current area transportation needs and promote the commercial air transportation potential for
History Colorado celebrated a building milestone in early October with the on-schedule and on-budget completion of construction on the new History Colorado Center—just one year after it topped out. The $110.8-million, 200,000-sq-ft state-owned facility will be a 21st Century museum, educational and tourist destination when it opens to the public next spring. Courtesy of History Colorado Center At the October 7 completion ceremony, an inscribed block of limestone was installed on the buildings exterior to honor Gov. John Hickenlooper (far left), former Gov. Bill Ritter (at the podium) and the 2008 Legislative Assembly, which helped fund the project. The History
The developers of the SWAN Ranch mixed-use project in southeastern Wyoming knew from the start their odds of success were good because of the property’s prime location just south of Cheyenne. Then they got lucky. Courtesy of Anderson Mason Dale The new 27,000-sq-ft Wyoming Welcome Center, being built by Sampson Construction Inc., was designed by Denvers Anderson Mason Dale Architects to blend with its environment, including manmade landforms and tree lines. The 4,000-acre development, which contractors believe is currently the largest in the state, is situated near Interstates 25 and 80, and served by the Union Pacific and BNSF railroads.“As
Two authoritative reports released in mid-September that detail the continued drag on the U.S. economy by traffic congestion and mobility have put the spotlight back on the congressional failure to act on a long-term transportation infrastructure bill. On September 21, the American Transportation Research Institute and Federal Highway Administration Office of Freight Management and Operations released a report identifying 250 major chokepoints and bottlenecks along highways that are critical to the nation's freight transportation system. The majority of the locations monitored were urban interstate interchanges.The top 10 freight bottleneck areas are: Chicago, Ill.: I-290 at I-90/I-94; Fort Lee, N.J.: I-95
Construction employment increased in 146 out of 337 metropolitan areas between August 2010 and August 2011, declined in 145 and stayed level in 46, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released in late September by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that the local employment data remains relatively split as private-sector demand increased and public sector activity declined more rapidly during the past year. “The construction market is caught between increases in private-sector demand and even larger decreases in public sector construction investments,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, noting that private sector
Leaders of Colorado’s built environment are feeling generally hopeful and optimistic, according to results of a first-ever statewide survey released in late September by the Everitt Real Estate Center at Colorado State University. The survey provides a first-of-its kind view from the three major sectors involved in the built environment in Colorado, including architectural, construction and commercial real estate professionals. The findings highlight the greatest pessimism among the commercial real estate sector related to challenging national issues, such as the impact of national debt ratings on financing, regulatory guidelines and employment growth. Leaders among architectural and construction sectors expressed more
The uncertain economy has many business leaders poring over their financials, crunching the budget and nixing every unnecessary expense, but financial problems aren’t the only ones your company might be facing. Have you recently taken a good hard look at the character of your company? When you really think about it, many of the transgressions we see in business today, from CEO scandals to terrible customer service, boil down to a lack of solid character, and character does matter in business. There’s no time like the present to sit down with your employees and define goals for the character of
Green buildings are generally assumed to be energy efficient and sustainable. However, such indefinite concepts need to be reduced to measurable criteria to be incorporated into construction documents, contracts and building codes. Although others are being developed, the most widely used green building benchmark is currently the LEED rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. To receive LEED certification, a project must meet a variety of prerequisites such as minimum energy performance and indoor air quality requirements, and then earn points for achieving specific goals or standards in seven categories. Based on total points earned, the building
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