Bechtel reports that it has been awarded a contract by enXco, an EDF Energies Nouvelles Co., San Diego, for the engineering, procurement and construction of the Catalina Solar Photovoltaic Generating Project in Kern County. Bechtel will also build the 7.2-mi transmission line to connect the facility to a nearby substation.The contract value was not disclosed.The 110 MWac facility will be built on 1,100 acres and produce enough energy to power approximately 35,000 homes.Jim Ivany, president of Bechtel’s Renewable Power business group, says construction is scheduled to begin in May pending final approval from the California Public Utilities Commission, with scheduled
Seven outstanding projects built by AGC of California contractors were chosen as winners in the 25th Annual Associated General Contractors of California’s Constructor Awards program. The winning projects, along with all of the Constructor Awards finalists named in this year’s competition, were honored as the “best of the best” in California construction during the 2012 Awards Banquet and presentation at The Palace Hotel, San Francisco, on April 14. The prestigious black tie event, the “Oscars” evening for the construction industry, was attended by more than 300 people from top construction firms throughout the state.In addition to naming the Constructor Awards
The California High-Speed Rail Authority Board last week passed a 2012 revised $68.4-billion business plan that will provide for high-speed rail service within a decade, connect the state’s major metropolitan areas, utilize existing rail infrastructure in Northern and Southern California and provide earlier statewide benefits to commuters in the Bay Area and Los Angeles. For the project to break ground, final approval is needed from the state legislature, which is scheduled to begin budget talks this week.The business plan was adopted with an amendment committing the authority to work with transportation agencies in Orange County to identify cost-effective ways to enable
The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority has issued a “full notice to proceed” to Foothill Transit Constructors – A Kiewit Parsons Joint Venture for the $486-million Foothill Extension from Pasadena to Azusa light-rail alignment project. The go-ahead affords the Kiewit Parsons JV the ability to implement all aspects of the design-build contract, including design and construction of the 11.5-mi of tracks, stations, crossings, bridges, utilities and maintenance facility. The total project budget for this second phase is $735 million.“The Authority board awarded the contract to the Kiewit Parsons team in July 2011 with a limited scope of design
Even though there was a handshake deal on a term sheet agreement for the financing, construction and operation of the nearly $400-million Entertainment and Sports Complex made in February between the Sacramento Kinds owners (the Maloof family) and the city of Sacramento along with AEG (the ESC operator), the deal has apparently fallen apart. According to news reports, the Maloof family, lawyers and consultants met with National Basketball Association owners and commissioner David Stern in New York this week and presented a “historical analysis of the transaction,” which basically says the city’s financing scheme and other obstacles show problems with
As Mayor Ed Lee praised the nonprofit developers responsible for the ground breaking earlier this month of the Rene Cazenave Apartments in San Francisco, the realization that the state’s redevelopment agency funding has gone away for projects like this became a little less painful to the affordable housing supporters in attendance. Rendering courtesy of BRIDGE Housing Rene Cazenave Apartments, San Francisco The 120 affordable housing units coming from the new project are the product of co-developers Community Housing Partnership and BRIDGE Housing Corp., which together and individually have been active in getting affordable projects off the ground in the city.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority released a revised business plan that is $30 billion cheaper by blending services with existing transportation infrastructure in both the North and the South rather than building a fully dedicated track system that was projected to cost $98.1 billion in the original draft plan. At an unveiling today in Fresno, Jim Hartnett, an authority board member, said that the $68.4-billion plan will make early investments in systems like Caltrain in the North that will lead to early benefits for those commuters who utilize that system.“By working in cooperation with regional and local transportation agencies on
The Southern California Contractors Association (SCCA) and United Contractors (UCON), formerly the Engineering & Utility Contractors Association (EUCA), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a new strategic partnership that will provide joint legislative and regulatory advocacy and labor relations throughout the state. The associations said they will work closely together to aggressively advocate on behalf of the heavy, civil construction industry on state and federal legislation, regulations and litigation matters.United Contractors President Rob Layne, O.C. Jones & Sons Inc., said that by working collectively, UCON and SCCA will form “the only statewide union-only labor relations service to California’s construction
The market recession has severely tested the confidence of the normally optimistic construction industry. Four years of struggling markets have taken a toll. However, the slow-but-steady recovery of the U.S. economy has many firms in the industry now believing that the worst is behind them and that a broad recovery is poised to begin. The recovery of the industry’s optimism can be seen in the most recent ENR Construction Industry Confidence Index (CICI) survey. Photo courtesy of Webcor Builders The recovery of the industry's optimism can be seen in the most recent ENR Construction Industry Confidence Index (CICI) survey. The
A peer review panel investigating the seismic safety inspection practices of a former Caltrans engineer concluded that the Bay Bridge east span foundation in question is safe and that it “meets or exceeds the state-of-practice and will result in a safe and reliable performance.” Photo courtesy of Caltrans The Bay Bridge Eastern Span in San Francisco Duane Wiles, a Caltrans safety technician in its Foundation Testing Branch, was fired in November for falsifying safety tests on other Caltrans projects. Wiles also tested the Bay Bridge’s Self-Anchored Suspension span T-1 foundation, which caused a regional uproar as well as calls for
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