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
After 28 months of construction, the U.S. General Services Administration rededicated the César E. Chávez Memorial Building in Denver on March 7. The GSA says the goal of the $37-million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act project is to achieve LEED-Silver certification. Photo by Fred Fuhrmeister, Time Frame Photography The project created a new state-of-the-art building exterior featuring an aluminum-and-glass curtain wall system that reduces the buildings energy consumption by 30%. The highlight of the modernization project is a state-of-the-art building exterior consisting of an aluminum-and-glass curtain wall system that reduces the building’s energy consumption by 30% and produces 5% of
The construction industry added 48,000 jobs in February, the ninth consecutive month of job growth for the sector, as more people are working in construction than at any point in the last three-and-a-half years, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials cautioned, however, that employment gains remain tenuous and could be undermined if Washington officials fail to reach a deal on federal investment levels later this month.“With construction employment increasing by the largest amount for a single month in nearly six years, the steady improvement in construction hiring is particularly
Construction spending snapped a nine-month string of monthly gains with a sharp decline in January but still rose from year-ago levels, according to a recent analysis of new Census Bureau data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials cautioned that across-the-board federal spending cuts known as sequestration, which took effect on March 1, along with a possible shutdown of the federal government later this month, could hit construction harder than most sectors and dampen demand for needed projects.“At first glance, January was a bad month for construction, with a sharp drop in private nonresidential spending, along with small
Despite the 2012 passage of the federal surface transportation law, known as MAP-21, the real value of highway and bridge contract awards over the last 12 months was down 3% compared the previous 12-month period, according to the latest analysis of McGraw-Hill Dodge data by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). Taking into account changes in wages, materials and inflation, state and local governments awarded $54.3 billion in real highway and bridge contract awards between February 2012-January 2013, compared to $55.8 billion in the same 2011-2012 time period. Contract awards are a leading indicator of construction activity
According to a new report recently released by McGraw-Hill Construction entitled “New & Retrofit Green Schools-The Cost Benefits and Influence of a Green School on its Occupants,” both K-12 and universities are reporting significant benefits from their green school efforts—both in improved child health, well-being and performance but also teacher and faculty satisfaction. These results are accompanied by reported financial benefits from green school activities. According to the study, nearly all K–12 school (91%) and university (89%) respondents report that green schools have improved the health and well-being of their students. Additionally, 70% of K –12 schools and 63% of
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