The Southeast's long-anticipated construction revival has arrived for some firms but remains a mere promise for others. According to McGraw Hill Construction, the four-state region of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas saw an estimated $10-billion decline in the value of new contracts in 2013. Even so, ENR Southeast's annual Top Contractors survey and ranking reveals some continued regional momentum. Photo courtesy of Balfour Beatty Construction Georgia firms are seeing signs of life, such as the $1-billion Buckhead Atlanta project being built by Balfour Beatty. Related Links: Southeast Top Starts Ranking Reveals Stop-and-Go Recovery Altogether, firms participating in this year's survey
A lawsuit filed two years ago by Zapata County Independent School District against Houston-based Satterfield & Pontikes Construction and several subcontractors has ended with an $8.12-million settlement paid to the district. The two elementary schools Satterfield & Pontikes built for Zapata County ISD, Zapata South Elementary School and Fidel & Andrea R. Villarreal Elementary School, opened in January 2006. Both were constructed from a $16-million bond package approved in 2003.Six years later, in spring 2012, the school district filed a lawsuit against the design and construction team, alleging poor quality work on the two schools, as well as on covered
Austrian-headquartered Benteler Steel is in the process of constructing a $975 million steel plant in Caddo Parish, La. The two-year project has created 1,000 construction jobs and is currently one of the largest projects in the state. Related Links: Benteler Steel Walbridge Matthias Jaeger, President and CEO of Benteler Steel/Tube GmbH, says the project is being constructed in two phases on a 330-acre site. The first, which is expected to be finished in late 2015, is the construction of a hot rolling tube mill, along with several finishing lines, for the production of seamless steel tubes. The second phase, to
General contractor Milton J. Womack Inc., recently broke ground on a $49 million project to rebuild Lee High School in Baton Rouge, La. Related Links: Milton J. Womack Inc. GraceHebert Architects Womack Project Executive Dale Phillips says the owner demolished the old school facilities which were originally constructed in the 60s. Four new buildings, totaling 190,000 square feet of combined space, will be constructed on the 25-acre site. It will consists of three three-story "academy buildings" to serve up to 1,200 students along with a large common-use facility featuring a gym, cafeteria and meeting spaces.The school was designed by local
Ranked as one of the top zoological parks in the country, New Orleans' Audubon Zoo is home to some critically acclaimed exhibits that have set a standard for other zoos around the world. Audubon's latest project is the construction of a new orangutan exhibit, an elephant exhibit and a river water ride for guests. Spread across three acres, the new attractions have visually appealing designs to immerse visitors in the natural world. Related Links: Audubon Nature Institute Gibbs Construction But project architects and contractors say working in a zoo comes with its own set of issues involving wildlife. Atypical construction
Continued strength in the energy industry propelled design firms in Texas and Louisiana last year, but it wasn't the region's only revenue-growth catalyst. The top 75 design firms on ENR Texas & Louisiana's ranking reported combined regional revenue of $4.1 billion in 2013—up from $2.97 billion in 2012—an increase of roughly 38% and more than double the nearly 16% growth of the year before. Related Links: 2014 Top Design Firms Ranking 2014 Top Design Firms Ranking by Sector 2013 Texas and Louisiana Top Design Firm Ranking Designers Seek Stability During Slow Recovery "Upstream [oil and gas] activities are slightly declining
Not long after its opening in the late 1960s, the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway corridor (Interstate 635) in Dallas experienced explosive growth and quickly exceeded capacity. As a result, planning for an expanded LBJ began in the late 1980s. More than 200 public meetings and three decades later, the project is under way. Related Links: LBJ Express LBJ Express Work Progresses to Excavation Phase The I-635 Managed Lanes project, also known as the LBJ Express, is a $2.7-billion, 13-mile highway reconstruction that will more than double the capacity of the corridor, which spans two municipalities in Dallas County. All of
Baird, Hampton and Brown Inc. announced several promotions. Konstantine Bakintas has been elevated to president of the firm; Bill Baird, founding principal, has been promoted to chairman; Ken Randall, previously lead for the electrical group, is now chief operations officer; and Mike McIlraith, a mechanical group leader, is now senior vice president. Also joining the firm as principals are Ian Bost and Richard Watters. Related Links: People: April 2014 People: February 2014 Woodbine Development Corp. announced several changes to its team. Jim Cihak has been promoted to chief financial officer, following the retirement of Greg Mowatt, the previous CFO. John
The Florida Dept. of Transportation is seeking reimbursement from the U.S. Navy and federal subcontractors for $4.1 million in costs related to the state agency's emergency repairs to Jacksonville’s Mathews Bridge.
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