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A federal judge in New Mexico has ruled in favor of plaintiffs who contended that the portions of the 2007 Albuquerque Energy Conservation Code are preempted by federal law. The Jan. 25 decision by U.S. District Judge Martha Vazquez essentially rejected the city’s attempt, through its building code, to impose heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment-efficiency standards in commercial, multi-family and single-family residential buildings that are more stringent than federal standards. The lawsuit was filed on Sept. 30, 2010 by a group led by the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute. In another move late last year, the Albuquerque city

Southern Nevada’s long simmering plans for a sports arena took a step forward with a funding pact that could see the $650 million, 17,500-seat Silver State Arena break ground this summer. A memorandum of understanding between United Arab Emirates-based International Development Management and Shenzhen, China-based China Security & Surveillance Technology (CSST) was unveiled Feb. 10, calling for CSST, with support from its Chinese banking partners, to fully fund construction of a 750,000-sq-ft sports arena in Henderson, about 12 miles south of Las Vegas. The deal covers only the indoor arena portion of a potential $1.3-billion project that calls for a separate

McCarran International Airport's new $99-million air traffic control is readying for lift-off. Archer Western Contractors, a unit of Chicago-based The Walsh Group, has been constructing the 352-ft-tall structure for the Federal Aviation Administration since June 2011. Image courtesy McCarran Intl. Airport McCarran's new air traffic control tower will be almost twice the height of the existing tower. Designed by WHPacific out of its Albuquerque, N.M. office, the project includes a four-story, 52,800-sq-ft base building for radar approach control, air traffic control training simulators, administrative offices and other navigational equipment. The 22-level concrete tower is topped by a two-level 850-sq-ft cab—or controller work area—with 14-ft-tall angled

A new 1-MW solar power plant is being planned for Arizona State University’s Polytechnic Campus in Mesa, Ariz. The project will be built as a partnership between the school, Phoenix-based utility Salt River Project and San Jose, Calif.-based SunPower Corp. Photo courtesy SunPower SunPower's C7 Tracker technology is designed to concentrate the sun's power sevenfold by combining single-axis tracking with rows of parabolic mirrors. SunPower will engineer, construct, operate and maintain the plant on the southeast corner of the ASU Polytechnic campus. SRP has agreed to buy the entire output of the solar plant, and ASU will purchase an equivalent

The annual World of Concrete show opened its doors in Las Vegas this week with better moods and traffic. The estimated attendance of 50,000 was an improvement over 2011, but 10% less than just two years ago. Photo by Tudor Van Hampton Attendance at this year's World of Concrete is expected to reach 50,000, slightly higher than last year's 48,554. Photo by Tony Illia While some longtime large exhibitors were missing this year, smaller independent dealers picked up the slack. "There is a tinge of optimism," said Ed Sullivan, chief economist for the Skokie, Ill.-based Portland Cement Association, on the first day of

Generating electricity when the sun isn't shining has long been the Achilles' heel of the solar power industry, but a new solar project in the high Nevada desert aims to solve the dilemma by becoming the nation's first commercial solar power plant to use salt storage technology. Images courtesy of SolarReserve The 60-ft-dia, cast-in-place concrete central tower rises 538 ft above the desert floor. Image Courtesy of SolarReserve A 2-sq-mile ring of reflective mirrors focuses sunlight upon a massive receiver atop a concrete tower in the center to heat salt and generate steam. The $900-million project is being built by

Barry Bartle BARTLEhas been named president at Phoenix-based NAI Horizon and will lead the strategic repositioning of the Property Management Division to help the commercial real estate firm grow its management portfolio to 10 million sq ft. With a career spanning 30 years, Bartle has led property management divisions for such firms as RREEF, Cushman and Wakefield and Pacific Office Properties, directing more than $2 billion in real estate investments for more than 100 clients.  Anthony Jeffers has been hired as a project manager for Johnson Carlier, Tempe, Ariz. Jeffers has more than a decade of experience in construction management,

Ahern Rentals Inc., the 58-year-old family-owned equipment rental giant that filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Dec. 22, prided itself on not selling out. Now, at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Reno, Nev., Ahern's Chapter 11 proceedings unfold on the heels of an announced merger between the construction industry's two largest rental companies—United Rentals Inc. and RSC Holdings Inc.—which for more than a decade have been chipping away at independents like Ahern through roll-ups, volume purchasing and price competition. Tudor Van Hampton for ENR Don Ahern is a fixture at equipment shows such as World of Concrete. Photo by

Phoenix firms Orcutt|Winslow and Kitchell have been selected to design and construct a new patient tower at Chandler Regional Medical Center, located in Chandler, Ariz. Site work on the five-story inpatient tower is set to begin this month, with vertical construction slated to start by November 2012. Image courtesy Orcutt|Winslow The $125-million addition will house a new emergency department, along with operating rooms, a chapel and food service area. Image courtesy Orcutt|Winslow The new five-story building will add 96 patient rooms to the existing Chandler Regional Medical Center. With the addition of 96 new in-patient beds bringing the total number