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Average construction backlogs in the South, including Texas and Louisiana, surpassed nine months during the final quarter of 2014, a feat regional builders haven't achieved since the first quarter of the year, according to data compiled by Washington, D.C.-based Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). Backlogs in the region rose .30 months, to 9.29 months, in quarter-to-quarter comparisons but declined .36 months, from 9.65 months, in year-over-year comparisons for the same period, data indicate.  The Midwest and Eastern regions also logged increases in quarter-to-quarter comparisons, though a 21% decrease in the West, from 9.42 months to 7.42 months, contributed to a

Gibbs Construction has broken ground on a $15-million, low-income senior-housing complex in New Orleans under development by Enterprise Community Partners and Providence Community Housing, a pair of low-income housing enterprises, and New York City-based  L+M Development Partners. The project is part of a third phase involving reconstruction of the Faubourg Lafitte housing complex, which sustained heavy damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. When completed, the entire development will include 896 apartments in addition to for-sale and rental homes on a 27-acre site. Gibbs President Rob Wooderson says the current phase will consist of a three-story, 100,000-sq-ft elevated concrete slab extending

Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts (MFAH) is planning a major redevelopment of its 14-acre campus, a $450 million effort that will include a new exhibition building, an art school, parking garage, rooftop garden, tunnel connectors, a central plant and extensive site development. Related Links: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston McCarthy Building Cos. McCarthy Building Cos. will act as construction manager at risk on the project, “providing preconstruction and construction services for the new Glassell School of Art, which includes a 290-car, two-level below grade parking structure and a three-level 86,000 sq ft school,” says Jeff Wagner, project director at

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.