Total construction spending registered a small gain in April but showed mixed patterns among major segments, according to a recent analysis of new Census Bureau data by the Associated General Contractors of America. “The report underscores patterns that have prevailed for several months: surging home and apartment construction, volatile private nonresidential activity and shrinking public investment,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. “This uneven result is leading to selected materials cost increases and localized reports of worker shortages despite continuing hard times for many contractors and workers.”Construction put in place totaled $861 billion in April, rising 0.4% since March
The long-awaited Marina Heights development along Tempe Town Lake has taken another step towards groundbreaking, according to a statement released Friday by the City of Tempe. If development deals are finalized by the City Council in June, the 2 million-sq-ft, 20-acre project will be the largest office development deal in Arizona history. Related Links: New 10-Story Office Tower Plans Announced at Tempe Town Lake Pedestrian Bridge Echoes Undulating Shapes of Tempe Environment Ryan Companies US Inc. of Phoenix, and Sunbelt Holdings, Scottsdale, Ariz., will develop the site owned by Arizona State University, adjacent to the Hayden Ferry Lakeside development completed
Balfour Senior Living’s new $74-million senior living community in downtown Denver broke ground on April 24. The 281,000-sq-ft, five-story, 203-unit project will include a mix of 112 independent apartments, 65 assisted-living apartments and 26 memory-care units. The project also includes renovation of the 2,500-sq-ft historic Moffat Train Depot, which will be used as a great room. Located in the Riverfront Park neighborhood, the facility will be downtown Denver’s first upscale senior-living facility. It will have all the amenities of a high-end hotel, including upscale suites, fine dining areas, a rooftop garden with panoramic mountain views, below-grade parking, a salon, banquet-performance
The site of Denver’s storied Pagliacci’s restaurant in the Highlands neighborhood will soon host a new multifamily project named Lumina. A local team led by TreeHouse Brokerage & Development is finalizing plans for 61 boutique-style rental lofts in a five-story building designed by Denver architects Tres Birds Workshop. Rendering by Tres Birds Workshop The design for Lumina offers a streamlined building with visual flair, but one that also fits into the context of Denvers rapidly changing LoHi neighborhood. Inspired by the history of Pagliacci’s and Colorado’s abundant sunlight, Lumina will feature a curved façade accented by a decorative screen that
The new administration building for the Denver Art Museum broke ground at the end of April and is projected to be complete in spring 2014. The 50,000-sq-ft building will more efficiently house the museum’s 100-plus employees, including administration, curators and others currently located elsewhere and allow for closer collaboration among them. Rendering by Roth Sheppard Architects The 50,000-sq-ft building will more efficiently house the museums 100-plus employees. In addition to staff offices, the privately funded, $11.5-million project will also contain a research library for scholars and 9,000 sq ft of collection storage.The three-story structure is located on Denver Art Museum
Michael Arledge, a journeyman electrician for Greiner Electric, Littleton, has won the Associated Builders and Contractors’ 2013 Craft Professional of the Year. The award was presented May 3 during ABC’s 21st Century Workforce Development Conference in Birmingham, Ala. Photo courtesy of ABC From left: Ed Rojeck, Tradesmen International; Greiner Electrics Michael Arledge, winner of ABCs Craft Professional of the Year Award; and 2013 ABC National Chairman Greg Hoberock. Each year ABC presents the Craft Professional of the Year award to a construction craft professional who excels in his or her field, maintains a lifelong commitment to training and upholds the
After indicating increasing demand for design services for the better part of a year, the Architecture Billings Index reversed course in April. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine- to 12-month lag between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects reported the April ABI score was 48.6, down from a mark of 51.9 in March. This score reflects a decrease in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings) and is the lowest mark since July 2012. The new projects inquiry index was 58.5, down
New construction starts in April settled back 1% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $473.0 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of McGraw-Hill Financial. The public-works sector retreated from its elevated pace in March, and housing experienced a slight loss of momentum. Meanwhile, nonresidential building in April showed some improvement after its lackluster performance during the previous two months. On an unadjusted basis, total construction starts in the January-April period of 2013 came in at $141.1 billion, down 5% from the same period a year ago. The 2013 year-to-date amount for total construction was pulled down by a
Construction employment declined in 32 states and the District of Columbia in April even as 29 states added jobs between April 2012 and April 2013, according to a recent analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Dept. data. Association officials noted that construction demand in a number of states appears to be slackening amid federal construction spending cuts and relatively weak private-sector demand. “The industry shows signs of recovering but employment growth continues to be uneven, with some areas seeing stronger gains even as others continue to contract,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “In addition,
With some of the Southwest's larger design firms experiencing flat or slight growth in 2012, several mid-size firms found an opening to expand dramatically. But both groups, in responding to this year's top design firms survey, are hopeful that economic conditions will continue to improve in 2013 and beyond. Related Links: View All of ENR Southwest's Annual Top Lists Design Firm of the Year: Dekker/Perich/Sabatini "The commercial lending market seems more willing to put their liquidity to work, which in turn has spurred construction projects which would not have been considered a couple of years ago," says Jason Bush, principal
RSS
