Upset with a perceived lack of opportunities for Richmond, Va.’s minority contractors, the executive director of the NAACP’s Virginia state conference has threatened “direct action” against current and planned city construction projects. King Salim Khalfani alleges that only 6% of city contracts have minority involvement in planning or construction, reported the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Unless that figure is improved, Khalfani said, the NAACP will disrupt various projects. One tactic would be parking unmarked dump trucks at construction sites to block access. The organization is focusing on projects that are publicly funded or receive government-backed financing. Potential targets include the Richmond Redevelopment
ALEXANDRIA, Va. � Firms looking to boost sagging bottom lines and gain more-robust public-sector construction markets generated a record attendance of more than 550 at this year�s federal and military workload briefings, sponsored by the Society of American Military Engineers in March in Alexandria, Va. Traditional pockets of �milcon� work�such as in base closure and housing�are winding down, officials said. But overseas expansion and new initiatives in energy conservation and facility �quality of life� upgrades are boosting work for the short term, just as new conference attendees were boosting their profiles. The SAME event preceded by one day testimony from
THOMAS The American Institute of Architects granted honorary membership to Dr. Gail Thomas, president and CEO of The Trinity Trust Foundation in Dallas. It is one of the highest honors the AIA bestows on a person outside the profession of architecture. Thomas’ efforts to improve cities and her support of the arts and architecture were keys to her election. LEO A DALY in Dallas named John Kraskiewicz its new COO. He is also a vice president of the firm. Kraskiewicz holds a bachelor’s of architecture, a master’s of architecture and a master’s of business administration with a specialization in real
Yates Construction – with offices in Fort Worth and San Antonio – was awarded a contract by the Corps of Engineers to build an Army Reserve Center in Sinton. The new $8.5-million, ARC consists of a 31,600-sq-ft training center with a combined 4,700-sq-ft organizational maintenance shop with an attached 1,300-sq-ft storage building. The scheduled completion date is May. This is one of three ARC contracts awarded to the company in the past six months including two in Arkansas. All are designed to achieve LEED-silver certification. Related Links: McCarthy Building Completes $240M Houston Hospital Expansion Armed Forces Reserve Center Under Construction
PHILADELPHIA � The U.S. General Services Administration has awarded a $23.8-million contract to Grunley Construction Co. of Rockville, Md., to renovate the exterior of the U.S. Custom House in Philadelphia. The project includes masonry restoration, repair/replacement of the windows, a new �green� roof, replacement of the tower lighting with energy-efficient fixtures and a high-efficiency boiler The project is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
WASHINGTON, D.C. � The Eisenhower Memorial Commission unveiled its preferred design concept by architect Frank O. Gehry. The Eisenhower Memorial will be the first presidential memorial to be built during the 21st century, and only the seventh in U.S. history. s Image courtesy Eisenhower Memorial Commission The Eisenhower Memorial Commission unveiled its preferred design concept by architect Frank O. Gehry, pictured here. The Eisenhower Memorial will be the first presidential memorial to be built during the 21st century, and only the seventh in U.S. history. David Eisenhower, President Eisenhower�s grandson and a member of the commission said, �We were all
CUMBERLAND TOWNSHIP, Pa. � Mason-Dixon Resort & Casino announced it has selected a subsidiary of Penn National Gaming to develop and manage all resort and gaming operations in connection with the company�s resort license application filed with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Mason-Dixon Resort & Casino plans to develop a venue in southern Adams County, about 2 miles from the Maryland border. The planned $75-million Mason-Dixon Resort & Casino will feature a 300-room hotel with 20,000 sq ft of meeting and exposition space. Penn National Gaming has committed to provide the financing for the development, construction and opening of the
Mid-Atlantic Construction magazine�s publisher, McGraw-Hill Construction, regularly reports on the pace of new construction contract activity for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and numerous metropolitan areas. Here, Mid-Atlantic Construction presents its first quarterly report on the pace of new contracts within the region of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Eastern Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. (For the purposes of consistency, the numbers presented here will include the entire state of Pennsylvania.) Delaware Through the first three months of 2010, Delaware�s construction contract activity has been wildly up or down compared to the same period of a year ago. For instance, January�s
NORFOLK, Va. � McDonough Bolyard Peck of Chesapeake, Va., was awarded a contract by the U.S. General Services Administration�s Mid-Atlantic Region to provide construction management services for the Walter E. Hoffman Courthouse Energy Bundle/Boiler Replacement, Variable Frequency Drive Installation, and Air Handler Unit Replacement Project in Norfolk, Va. This is the first task order for a $25 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract, and is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
MARION, Va. � Skanska was awarded a $47.6-million contract to build the Smyth County Community Hospital in Marion, Va., for Mountain States Health Alliance. The contract includes construction of a three-story building that will house offices and medical wards, with 44 beds, and departments for emergency care and surgery and other facilities. Skanska will serve as construction manager and lead the design-build project. The building will be designed to achieve LEED certification. Site work is scheduled to start in July, with completion scheduled for December 2011.