On June 5, 2013, the Florida Dept. of Transportation (FDOT) officially short-listed four firms for its latest major public-private partnership (P3) project—the $2.1-billion planned redo of Orlando's main interstate highway.
Technically speaking, 2013 proved to be a downer for the Southeast's collective construction industry. According to McGraw Hill Construction's final 2013 state figures, the Southeast region of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas generated nearly $70.6 billion in new contracts during the past year. While that number sounds significant, it's decidedly lower than the 2012 grand total of nearly $80.3 billion. However, while numbers don't lie, sometimes they don't tell the whole story. Related Links: Southeast Top Starts Ranking Owner of the Year: Florida Dept. of Transportation McGraw Hill Construction's use of total contract costs, combined with its inclusion of two
Rendering courtesy of Clemson University Restoration Institute The North Charleston, S.C., drivetrain test center features 7.5-MW and 15-MW test bays that can mimic 20 years of field conditions over a roughly six-month period. Related Links: Dynamic Deeds Build Clemson's Unique Test Facility First Public Multi-Turbine Wind Lab Goes Live A Clemson University wind-energy testing and research center built to accommodate the world's largest drivetrains is poised to deliver an increased amount of data about wind-turbine designs and their impacts on the electrical grid. Designed to drive technological innovations and featuring a unique set of capabilities, the North Charleston, S.C., facility
An AECOM executive makes a presentation to win a construction management contract for sewer repairs in Miami-Dade County, as shown in in documents provided by rival CH2M Hill's attorney. The $1.6-billion Miami-Dade county sewer repair project has produced a steady flow of controversy as Florida public officials changed the rules for competitors for the prime contract, and the two finalists clashed over the accuracy of their stated qualifications.Where the sales work by the finalists ends, and unethical misrepresentation begins, is hard to tell at this point. Some of it concerns simple math that ought to be easy to agree on.After
Related Links: Rodgers Builders Melds Traditional Values, Innovation Bonar D. "B.D." Rodgers, 89, founder and chairman of the Charlotte, N.C.-based construction management firm that became one of the southeast's largest builders, died on Feb. 14 in that city.He had remained active in managing Rodgers Builders Inc., the company he founded nearly 51 years ago with $5,000 he borrowed against a life-insurance policy.No cause of death was announced. RodgersRodgers served with an engineering combat battalion during World War II and then earned a civil engineering degree from North Carolina State University. He worked for various firms as an engineer and contractor
Bonar Day “B.D.” Rodgers, 89, founder and chairman of Charlotte, N.C.-based construction manager Rodgers Builders, died Feb. 14. Rodgers had remained active in the company’s management until his death. Photo courtesy Rodgers Builders B.D. Rodgers, chairman of Rodgers Builders, with his wife, Patricia, president and CEO, in 2013. Related Links: Rodgers Builders Melds Traditional Values, Innovation The company released a statement, which read, in part: “[B.D.] was a ‘builder’ in the truest sense, with a passion for building relationships through his service to community and his love of the construction industry, and most importantly, his love for his family and
Related Links: Report Shows Improved Water Quality in Chesapeake Bay CH2M Hill Now Will Run Troubled Port of Anchorage Expansion Job Two firms competing for a program and construction-management contract under Miami-Dade County's federally mandated sewer-repairs project are at odds. AECOM Technical Services and CH2M Hill are accusing each other of improprieties during bidding for the $1.6-billion project.AECOM fired the first shot, asserting that CH2M Hill violated Miami-Dade's ethics rules and standard procurement practices by sending hundreds of pages of proposal documentation directly to county officials prior to a Tier 2 presentation before a committee assembled on Aug. 28, 2013,
Public-private partnerships—such as Florida's nearly complete $1.8-billion Interstate 595 Express contract or its next, upcoming monster project, the $2.1-billion I-4 Ultimate in Orlando—have become nearly standard procedure in recent years in the Sunshine State's Dept. of Transportation.
If projections for the Southeast's 2014 construction market prove accurate, it's officially time for contractors and designers to forget about the gloom of the recent past and start focusing upon the coming resurgence. Photo by Chad Sattler How well Southeast builders are able to deal with a looming worker shortage will be a key issue in the coming years. Image courtesy of Atlanta Braves In late 2013, Atlanta caught the attention of the nation when the Braves announced plans to build a $672-million ballpark and a $400-million mixed-use development, further escalating construction activity in the area in 2014. Related Links:
