Now that a small flotilla of barges has largely retreated, the main branch of the Chicago River no longer resembles a rush-hour jam on Lake Shore Drive.
Having long lagged other U.S. regions in economic recovery, the Midwest gained considerable momentum in 2014—welcome news to the region's construction industry.
Joel M. Carlins, co-chief executive officer with Chicago-based developer Magellan Group, spent his early years engaged in the intangibles inherent in the practice of law. Once a case or consultancy concluded, all that remained were files he stored in an office cabinet. Related Links: Owner of the Year 2011 Chicago Commission Greenlights 67-Story Residential Tower An encounter with the Salvation Army in the 1990s changed all of that. By then, Carlins had consulted building owners, designers and contractors, in addition to numerous area banks. He had also begun dabbling in construction, including the redevelopment of a rapid transit station. The
An environmental specialist who created three technical groups of more than 100 each, an architect who serves as global chair of social responsibility for a prominent design firm and an acclaimed marketing and branding expert are among the rising stars selected as ENR Midwest's Top 20 Under 40, an annual program recognizing young design and construction professionals from the region who have made significant contributions to their firms, professions and communities.
Illinois added 20,000 construction jobs in December, placing it among the nation's top five gaining states for a fourth consecutive month, according to year-over-year comparisons compiled by Arlington, Va.-based Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Only Texas (47,000 jobs), Florida (34,300) and California (26,000 jobs) placed stronger over the same period, AGC data indicate. Illinois also was among the top five gainers on a percentage basis, posting a 10% increase between December 2013 and 2014. Wisconsin added 12,400 jobs over the same period, placing it third among states on a percentage basis (12.7%). Illinois gained 6,000 jobs in month-to-month comparisons
After a precipitous slide in November, demand for design services in the Midwest eked its way back into positive territory in December, according to data compiled by Washington, D.C.-based American Institute of Architects (AIA). AIA's Architectural Billing Index (ABI), reflecting the nine- to 12-month lead time between billings and construction, showed regional demand for design services rise to 50.8 in December, helping offset a slide from 54.4 to 49.8 between October and November. An ABI score of 50 or greater denotes growing demand for design services. The Midwest has demonstrated positive growth in six of the past seven months. By
After issuing an executive order to freeze all state contracts for projects in the planning and development stage, Ill. Gov. Rauner has authorized the Illinois State Tollway Authority (ISTA) to proceed with more than $1 billion in projects this year. The freeze, issued Jan. 12, Rauner's first day as governor, applied to all executive branch agencies, ISTA included. Because ISTA projects are financed by tolls, they do not impact massive state deficit Rauner has vowed to address. The decision clears the way for ISTA to execute $1.6 billion in project this year, including $840 million in bridge and road work
Cincinnati officials and Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) are investigating the cause of an overhead exit ramp collapse that killed a construction worker and injured a semi truck driver on Interstate 75 (I-75), five miles north of the Ohio River. The collapse occurred at about 10:30 p.m. on Monday as crews were preparing to demolish the ramp as part of a project to increase capacity on I-75. The collapse, which killed 35-year-old Brandon William Carl, an Augusta, Ky., native, left southbound lanes of the interstate littered with several hundred tons of concrete and steel. “Our teams are surveying the situation
Chicago-based Golub & Co. and Los Angeles-based co-developer CIM Group have broken ground on a 41-story, 397-unit apartment tower in Chicago's South Loop, fueling a boom some analysts predict could add nearly 9,000 residences to downtown Chicago by year-end 2016. Earlier this year, CIM broke ground on a 34-story, 690-unit apartment tower atop a four-story mall in Chicago's Loop, the largest such project to rise in the district in years. Both projects join new fewer than 17 residential developments under construction in downtown Chicago, including a 402-unit tower undertaken by Chicago-based developer John Buck Co. and a 498-unit project by
RSS