Miami's current condo boom, the story goes, began humbly enough with the 2010 start of sales for two projects: Apogee Beach in Hollywood Beach and MyBrickell in Miami.
Across the Southeast, specialty contractors are finding out that this construction recovery isn't arriving via a wave or even a slow upward curve. Instead, this post-recession rebound is coming together on a piece-by-piece basis, like a massive puzzle that's only now starting to reveal its overall picture. Photo courtesy Gate Precast Concrete Progress Gate Precast is providing a unique set of precast concrete panels to the Miami Science Museum project, which is being led by Skanska USA. Photo courtesy of NASA Up and Away? At Kennedy Space Center, Florida, NASA is renovating its Vehicle Assembly Building to accommodate the next
Just as repeat visitors to Central Florida's theme parks typically find new rides and attractions alongside old favorites, the region's contractors and subcontractors are finding the current uptick in activity similar, yet different from post-downturn periods of the past. Related Links: Southeast Specialty Firms Still Seeking Market Stability Southeast Top Specialty Contractors Ranking To be sure, the market's typically strong segments—multifamily apartments and condominiums, hospitality and health care—are once again leading the way, along with some government and sports initiatives.But it's how these projects are being executed that is defining this current construction environment. Most notably, say regional players, the
Three years ago, when Coastal Construction Group CEO and Chairman Tom Murphy Jr. predicted to ENR Southeast readers that an "unprecedented" building boom was coming to Miami, skeptics scoffed. "Everybody laughed," says Dan Whiteman, Coastal president. Related Links: 2014 Southeast Top Contractors Ranking 2011: Coastal Construction CEO Says Miami is Set to Boom Again Whiteman—who adds that Murphy "has a stronger sense of the market than any individual I have ever met"—is exaggerating slightly about the reaction. After all, contractors who know the well-connected Murphy would be reluctant to dismiss his insider perspective.Still, back then there was reason for skepticism,
Designing the 60,000-sq-ft Center for Emerging Technologies and a 1,200-space AutoPark Structure for the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) near Greenville, S.C., proved no easy drive through the park. Related Links: As Design Activity Picks Up, Industry Sentiment Follows ENR Southeast's Top Lists CU-ICAR, reflecting the changing nature of the Southeast design market, required exacting specifications within a limited budget. The center's design had to support academic research on a variety of advanced automotive technologies—which in turn support and influence powerhouses like BMW, whose nearby plant will soon produce nearly 500,000 vehicles a year."Our campus is unlike
On July 16, at 6:45 a.m., Florida Power & Light's 50-plus-year-old Port Everglades powerplant in Hollywood, Fla., came crashing down. The 1200-megawatt, oil-burning behemoth had become the latest chapter in one of today's biggest infrastructure stories—the nation's ongoing transition to cleaner energy sources. The occasion also cleared the way for new construction, in this case a $1-billion-plus natural gas-fired facility. Related Links: Southeast Top Specialty Contractors Ranking VIDEO: Port Everglades Powerplant Implosion (YouTube) D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co. Web Site The early-morning spectacle, positioned next to Fort Lauderdale's international airport and the cruise-ship hub Port Everglades, drew widespread attention for FPL—which
Despite some improvement in the volume of new contracts, the Southeast's construction market remains a fraction of the size it was during the pre-recession peak years. While specialty contractors working in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas are growing more optimistic about market recovery, for many, the next wave of construction can't get here soon enough. Photo courtesy of Gate Precast Co. Educational projects such as this science graduate classroom building at Florida International University in Miami could be indicative of an increased amount of work in this sector for specialty firms. Photo courtesy of KHS&S Contractors At HealthPark Medical Center
Southeast contractors, beginning to sense genuine momentum in the region's building markets, are now looking forward to an upturn. But as data from ENR Southeast's latest Top Contractors survey shows, a broader regional construction market recovery remains mostly in the offing. Related Links: The Southeast's Top Starts Top Southeast Starts Reflect a Rejuvenated Residential Market The survey's first indicator of a regional revival is seen in the response rate. Historically, the depth of the Southeast Top Contractors ranking has ebbed and flowed with the industry's own ups and downs. For the latest list, more than 110 firms reported their 2012
By most outward appearances, much has changed for Rodgers Builders since its chairman, B.D. Rodgers, first founded the company in 1963. Now with more than 350 associates across three offices, and a diverse project portfolio, the Charlotte, N.C.-based firm's growth has mirrored its hometown's emergence as one of the Southeast's leading economic hubs. Related Links: Rodgers Builders Named 'Contractor of the Year' Builders Get Ready for Southeast Resurgence Looking deeper, though, it is apparent that Rodgers has deviated little from its origin as a conservative company, with leaders who emphasize an old-fashioned personal approach. At the same time, the company
Southeast architecture and engineering firms are seeing increased project activity by owners as well as heightened expectations regarding collaborative design processes and enhanced sustainability goals. Photo courtesy of Perkins+Will In a sign of the evolution of green design, Perkins+Will launched its Sprout Space modular, sustainable classroom design at Chattahoochee Hills Charter School, south of Atlanta. Image courtesy of Dewberry Health care projects, such as the $51-million Alamance Regional Center Expansion project in Burlington, N.C., continue to move ahead, but with a changing focus. Related Links: Reynolds, Smith and Hills Makes Big Plans to Stand Alone Engineering News Record "Owners definitely