Houston-based EDP Renewables North America (EDPR) has reached an agreement with Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) to construct a $350-million to $400-million wind farm containing up to 100 turbines in Randolph County, Ind., about 25 miles east of Muncie. Under the agreement, the proposed Headwaters Wind Farm will supply I&M with 200MW of power over a period of 20 years. I&M indicated the arrangement will help it fulfill a 2007 agreement between parent company AEP and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to increase its use of renewable energy. The agreement settled litigation over allegations that 16 AEP coal-fueled power plants violated
Metropolitan Chicago lost more construction jobs (-5,900, -5%) in April than any metro market in the nation, according to year-over-year data compiled by Arlington,Va.-based Associated General Contractors of America. Losses also were steep in Cincinnati (-2,400, -6%), the nation's third worst performer in April. On a percentage basis, employment declines were especially sharp in Decatur, Ill. (-18%, -700 jobs); Eau Claire, Wis. (-17%, -500 jobs), Rockford, Ill. (-17%, -700 jobs) and Detroit (-12%, -2,100 jobs).The news was somewhat better for other Midwest metro markets, including Milwaukee (5%, -1,100 jobs), and Indianapolis (+.5%, 200 jobs), though regional construction activity continues to
When a new $90-million classroom and lab facility at University of Illinois is completed next year, the sum of its sustainable parts will total net-zero. Put another way, the 230,000-sq-ft College of Electrical and Computer Engineering Building (ECE), currently under construction in Urbana, will only consume as much energy as it harvests. To date, the Department of Energy has classified only a handful of U.S. facilities as net-zero energy buildings, the majority of them no larger than 15,000 sq ft. Related Links: Owner of the Year: University of Illinois Sets Aggressive Sustainabiltiy Schedule Blue Cross Raises a Green Shield The
NiShen Ni has joined the St. Louis office of architect-engineer HOK as an urban designer. Prior to joining the St. Louis office, Ni worked in HOK's Hong Kong office. He also was with Wheeler Kerns Architects in Chicago. Ni is working in HOK's planning group, serving as a project designer and a coordinator for building information modeling. Related Links: ENR Midwest People Showcase ENR Midwest Project Showcase Chris Deiss has joined Neenah, Wis.-based contractor Miron Construction Co. as project manager. Deiss, who has 20 years of industry experience, was previously a superintendent with a contractor in Kaukauna, Wis. He is
By its own admission, Kansas City, Mo.-based designer Burns & McDonnell can be a bit of a plodder when branching into new practice areas, a tendency it says sometimes requires patience from management.
Illinois, Ohio and Indiana logged the highest construction job losses in the nation in April, according to year-over-year data compiled by Arlington, Va.-based Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Illinois shed 12,900 jobs in April, followed by Ohio with 9,200 job losses and Indiana with 5,600 job losses. Michigan (-4,300 jobs), Wisconsin (-3,600 jobs ) and Missouri (-200 jobs) also recorded employment declines in April, AGC reports.In month-to-month comparisons, Vermont recorded the largest percentage decrease in construction employment (-6.3%), followed by Illinois (-4.3%) and Wisconsin (4.1%). Illinois also recorded the nation's highest job losses (-7,900 jobs) between March and April.In
Construction backlogs in the Midwest declined by 13%, from 6.34 months to 5.51 months, in the first quarter of 2013, according to year-over-year data compiled by Arlington, Va.-based Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). The period marked the second consecutive quarter of declining backlogs in the region, a trend ABC attributes to slow growth in states such as Illinois and Wisconsin. “The economies of those two states are among the most fragile in the nation,” says ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu.At present, Midwest backlogs are at their lowest levels in three years, according to ABC data. All other regions showed positive growth
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Thursday announced plans to construct a $173-million stadium for DePaul University's Blue Demons adjacent to McCormick Place, the city's largest convention center. The stadium, slated to break ground next year, is part of a city initiative to create an entertainment and tourist district near McCormick Place. In addition to restaurants, the program envisions a pair of new hotels for the area, located south of the city's Loop.In February, Chicago's Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority announced plans for the first of the two hotels, a $400-million, 1,200-room facility intended to boost convention activity in Chicago. The
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has opened an investigation into Schaumburg, Ill.-based Power Construction Co. as a result of a fatality that occurred at a construction site at Evanston's Northwestern University on Thursday. Michael Kerr, 57, of Dyer, Ind., died after being struck by a wood beam that fell from six stories at the site of the Bienen School of Music and the School of Communication, a project that broke ground last summer. Police reports indicate a construction crane knocked the 70-lb., 16-ft-long beam off the building at about 7:15 a.m. Kerr, who was struck in the head
Although their billings declined in March, architects continue to see growing demand for design services across all regions of the U.S., according to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Architectural Billing Index (ABI). AIA reports the ABI score slipped from 54.9 in February to 51.9 in March, but notes that any score above 50 indicates increasing demand for design work. March marked the eighth consecutive month the index scored above 50.“Business conditions in the construction industry have generally been improving over the last several months,” says AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker.“But as we have continued to report, the recovery has
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