The recently completed $15.5-million renovation of the Lorenzo de Zavala Archives and Library Building in Austin means documents and artifacts that illustrate Texas’ rich history are now better protected and more accessible to the public. Photo: Bailey Architects. An interior view of the Texas State Library Archives building, which recently underwent a renovation, the first major upgrade to the half-century-old building since its original construction. Photo: Bailey Architects. Harvey-Cleary’s CM-at-risk contract for the renovation of the archives and library building (shown, exterior) allowed the firm to coordinate early with the Texas Facilities Commission. “The Zavala building was the first central
All too often, contractors do not have quality recordkeeping procedures. This can cause numerous problems, especially if issues are encountered during construction. Contractors often elect to create files for a specific project, which may contain subfolders for items such as contracts, submittals and correspondence. Unless company policy clearly states which information is to be placed into the project file, it is unlikely that all relevant information will be included. For example, as a project progresses, a project manager may use a work computer. At the close of the project, files created on the work computer may never be transferred to
Many of us spend our working hours assisting clients in a quest toward a more sustainable environment, including LEED certification. But have you evaluated the sustainability efforts put into your own office environment? Beyond that, are you sure your employees understand the reasoning behind sustainability? Sustainability can be an overwhelming topic. One day it’s melting ice shelves and the next it’s “climategate.” Indoor air quality, heat gain, rainwater harvesting, locally sourced materials, vegetated roofs, geothermal systems, daylighting – the specifics can make a layperson’s head spin; so introduce sustainability in terms that anyone can understand, from engineers to assistants to
Europe-based Merlin Entertainments announced in January that it has purchased Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven from property investment company Land South Group and will open Legoland Florida on the site at the end of 2011. Related Links: FPL Halts Work on Nuclear, Modernization Projects $400-Million I-4/Selmon Connector Moves Ahead With Stimulus Funds Florida Contracts: 8% December Drop = 24% ’09 Decline Construction Starts on Everglades Restoration Project Tamiami Trail Skanska USA Selected as CM for FIU Stempel Complex Stiles to Develop, Build Nova Southeastern Educational Center Contractor to Replace Jet Fuel Tanks for NAVFAC in Jacksonville Ajax Building Starts New
An 18% drop in the overall value of new South Carolina construction contracts signed in December for future construction added up to a 36% decline for the entire year, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Southeast Construction. Related Links: North Carolina Wins $545 Million in Federal Rail Grants South Carolina: 18% December Drop = 36% ’09 Decline Carolinas AGC Presents Top Honors to Construction Leaders O’Neal to Construct FitesaFiberweb Expansion in Simpsonville, S.C. South Carolina Leaders Hope for I-73 Stimulus Dollars URS to Operate North Carolina’s Triangle Expressway Toll Facility During December, the value of new nonresidential contracts fell 49%
Ajax Building Corp. of Fort Myers has broken ground on an $8.5-million Academic Center and Plaza for New College of Florida, the state honors college for the liberal arts and sciences in Sarasota. Related Links: FPL Halts Work on Nuclear, Modernization Projects $400-Million I-4/Selmon Connector Moves Ahead With Stimulus Funds Florida Contracts: 8% December Drop = 24% ’09 Decline Legoland Florida to Rise at Former Cypress Gardens Construction Starts on Everglades Restoration Project Tamiami Trail Skanska USA Selected as CM for FIU Stempel Complex Stiles to Develop, Build Nova Southeastern Educational Center Contractor to Replace Jet Fuel Tanks for NAVFAC
A long-awaited Everglades restoration construction project began in February on the western section of the Tamiami Trail in Miami-Dade County, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced. Related Links: FPL Halts Work on Nuclear, Modernization Projects $400-Million I-4/Selmon Connector Moves Ahead With Stimulus Funds Florida Contracts: 8% December Drop = 24% ’09 Decline Legoland Florida to Rise at Former Cypress Gardens Skanska USA Selected as CM for FIU Stempel Complex Stiles to Develop, Build Nova Southeastern Educational Center Contractor to Replace Jet Fuel Tanks for NAVFAC in Jacksonville Ajax Building Starts New College of Florida Academic Center The Tamiami Trail
As financially risky as the construction industry is, contractors should give priority to the relationships with sureties, banks and other stakeholders. To lose them is to be thrown adrift in uncertain and fiscally dangerous waters. Contractors need to provide more than lip service. Occasional proof of profitability and a round of golf aren’t enough. What lenders and sureties need is a top-to-bottom understanding of a contractor’s financial management systems and plans for the future. The best way to share this information is with a comprehensive reporting package presented once or twice a year. This can allay many anxieties. To continue
All contractors, no matter what market they serve, face a myriad of employment laws and regulations. For those contractors and subcontractors working on federal or federally funded projects, however, there are additional laws and regulations designed to promote government policies. The laws and regulations apply to every aspect of the employment process, including hiring, firing and everything in between. These laws also usually apply to subcontractors that furnish supplies or services necessary to perform a federal contract. Failure to comply with these laws can lead to a variety of consequences, including lawsuits, criminal penalties, fines and debarment and/or cancellation of
Throughout this issue of Southeast Construction, public works projects are front and center. Here, we provide a look at the strength of the market as a whole, and how contractors are fighting to win work in this critical construction sector. Photo: Dwayne Easterling, Jacobs Associates The $305-million South Cobb Tunnel, currently under construction in Cobb County, Ga., is one of the larger public-works projects under way in the four-state Southeast region. But it’s certainly not the only one. Image: City of Orlando Orlando’s “Venues” building program also includes a $425-mi llion performing-arts center. The center’s design team includes: HKS Architects,
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