On The Scene August 29, 2011 U.S. Dept. of Housing Residents of Denver�s Lincoln Park neighborhood celebrated earlier this summer after the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development awarded $22 million in HOPE VI grant funding to the Denver Housing Authority to revitalize South Lincoln’s public housing. The first phase will be completed in December, but the new grant allows DHA to move forward with design and construction of future phases. Above, Sen. Michael Bennet (left) and DHA Executive Director Ismael Guerrero (right) accept the HOPE VI check from Rick Garcia, HUD regional administrator (center). At left, designers from
Following a drop of almost a full point in June, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) fell again by more than a point in July. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects reported the July ABI score was 45.1—the steepest decline in billings since February 2010— after a reading of 46.3 the previous month. This score reflects a continued decrease in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings).The new projects inquiry index
The Metro Wastewater Reclamation District in Denver broke ground for its new $475-million Northern Treatment Plant on Aug. 17 at the new plant site north of Brighton, Colo. Courtesy of Metro Wastewater District Groundbreaking for the new $475-million Northern Treatment Plant took place on August 17. The NTP marks the first satellite treatment facility the Metro District has undertaken, coinciding with its 50th anniversary. “The NTP is Metro’s logical next step in its 50 years of progress. The facility is needed to support communities in the northern metropolitan region because existing facilities will soon reach their capacity,” said Metro District Manager
Construction professionals from throughout Wyoming congregated in Casper in late July for Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Wyoming meetings and events. Courtesy of ABC of Wyoming Team Groathouse won the annual ABC of Wyoming golf tournament in Casper this summer. Left to right: Billy Brewer and Cayde Johnson with Groathouse Construction (Laramie/Cody/Casper) and Ray Drzymala with MOA Architecture. The annual summer event kicked off with the first annual ABC Wyoming Cup golf tournament at the Paradise Valley Country Club. The ABC Cup exceeded expectations with more than 90 players participating in the tournament. Top honors went to the
The August 20 grand opening of the new Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon offers visitors a glimpse at a special place that teaches kids about outdoor science—through the vantage point of a green lens. Courtesy of R.A. Nelson The new Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon has sustainable features throughout, including these solar shades on the windows. The center itself is a lesson in sustainability. The building offers energy consumption that’s cut in half, an environmental footprint that creates minimal impact on the local ecosystem and serves as an industry model for environmentally friendly construction practices.The green education center,
Denver’s GE Johnson Construction Co. is well under way with the transformation of the César E. Chávez Memorial Building in Denver into a state-of-the-art, high-performing green building—one with an entirely new skin over its 1982 bones. Courtesy of GE Johnson Construction/Tryba Architects Approximately 50% of the buildings temporary barrier walls have been installed, allowing for exterior skin demolition on the north side of the building, with crews moving from east to west. Courtesy of GE Johnson Construction/Tryba Architects The new facade is comprised of prefabricated, 15-ft-wide, two-tone aluminum panels that meet new federal standards for waterproofing, energy efficiency and blast
The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index®, which had declined in June, improved slightly in July. The index now stands at 59.5 (1985=100), up from 57.6 in June. The Present Situation Index decreased to 35.7 from 36.6. The Expectations Index rose to 75.4 from 71.6 last month. The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey®, based on a probability-design random sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by The Nielsen Co., a leading global provider of information and analytics around what consumers buy and watch. The cutoff date for July’s preliminary results was July 14.“Consumer confidence posted a modest gain in July, the result
Construction employment inched up by 8,000 jobs to a 15-month high in July but remained far below the peak set in early 2006, according to an analysis of new federal employment data released recently by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said a grim outlook for public-sector construction activity could act as a drag on expanding private-sector construction. They urged lawmakers to pass adequate long-term funding for public projects, without unnecessary strings attached.The industry unemployment rate fell from 17.3% a year earlier to 13.6% in July 2011, and the number of unemployed people who previously worked in construction
Construction spending edged up 0.2% in June as increases in private nonresidential construction outweighed continuing declines in private residential and public construction spending, the Associated General Contractors of America reported earlier this week in an analysis of new Census Bureau data. The construction trade association’s chief economist, Ken Simonson, predicted further imbalances in spending, with further cuts in public spending likely to offset most or all of the gains in private investment. “Private nonresidential construction is rebounding, thanks to renewed investments in power, manufacturing and warehousing and distribution facilities,” Simonson said. “A small rise in homebuilding also helped overall spending
In Colorado, there are two different types of mechanic’s liens. One type provides for remedies to those who supply labor, materials, services and other lienable benefits for the improvement of property under contract with a property owner or the owner’s agent. We will call that a “Section 101” lien, 101 being the section of the Colorado mechanic’s lien statute that creates that lien remedy. The other lien type arises when owners of property fail to post or serve notice upon others that their properties will not be liable for mechanic’s liens. Those notices must be given no later than five