Gains in the building sectors pushed South Carolina’s May total for new contracts 28% higher than the same period of a year ago, according to McGraw-Hill Construction. The company estimated the state’s new contracts at $608.3 million, compared to last May’s $476.2-million tally. Photo by Shaw Group; courtesy SCANA Corp. At the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station project in Jenkinsville, S.C., the heavy lift derrick was constructed and underwent load testing while excavation began on the Unit 3 site. Related Links: North Carolina Sees All Sectors Move Up in May Nuke Project Boosts South Carolina Contracts in April The nonresidential category
As officials in North Carolina prepare to widen their probe into utility Duke Energy’s surprise ouster of its just-named CEO, officials there and in Florida are giving increased scrutiny to a problem-laden repair of the now-idled Crystal River nuclear powerplant owned by acquired utility Progress Energy as a factor in the boardroom coup. Photo courtesy Duke Energy Officials in North Carolina want to know more about the repair issues at the Crystal River nuclear powerplant project in Citrus County, Fla. Related Links: Florida, Progress Energy Reach Fix Plan for Crystal River Costly Blunders at Progress Energy's Crystal River Nuke Plant
Related Links: Battle Heats Up Over Georgia's Transportation Tax Vote Architect's 'BeltLine' Idea Reshapes Atlanta A debate over taxation and government spending is heating up in advance of a July 31 vote in Georgia over a penny sales-tax increase. The deal could boost funding for transportation projects by an estimated $18.7 billion.Twelve separate regional elections for a special-purposes local-options sales tax will help decide the statewide vote over the Transportation Investment Act. If passed, the tax increase would be enacted in the regions in which voters approved the measure and remain in effect for 10 years.According to the Georgia Dept.
Related Links: Europe's Economic Woes Could Further Dampen Economies in 2013 Obama Signs $104B Highway-Transit Bill An increase in subcontractor failures, more reliance on contractor-obtained financing and the nation's continuing economic sluggishness highlighted concerns facing members of the Construction Financial Management Association as they met at their annual convention on June 23-27 in Orlando, Fla.Contractors around the nation are increasingly finding that some specialty firms hired for their projects are unable to finish the job due to financial distress. The topic was especially relevant at CFMA's first "Large Firm CFO Roundtable," says Erika Urbani, CFMA chairwoman and chief financial officer
Photo courtesy Duke Energy Duke Energy's board initiated its own study of the problems at Crystal River prior to the closing of the merger with Progress Energy. Results from that confidential study boosted the board's concerns about Bill Johnson's leadership. Related Links: Florida, Progress Energy Reach Fix Plan for Crystal River Fla. Public Counsel Calls Botched Repair at Crystal River 'A Huge Construction Negligence Case' Progress Energy: No Way to Predict Nuke Plant Cracking As the state of North Carolina widens its probe into utility Duke Energy’s surprise ouster of its just-named CEO, officials there and in Florida are increasing
Residential contracts surged in May, but Georgia’s other sectors fell significantly, resulting in a flat overall monthly total for new construction contracts, according to McGraw-Hill Construction. Photo courtesy Brasfield & Gorrie Through May, Georgia's nonresidential building sector is 18% behind 2011's pace. Pictured here: Perkins+Will's LEED platinum-rated new headquarters, built by Brasfield & Gorrie. Related Links: Georgia Contracts Tumble 11% in April Residential Gives Life to Florida Contracts in May Residential contracts totaled $390.7 million for the month, or 26% better than last May, according to McGraw-Hill. The nonresidential sector fell 14%, however, for a $426.5-million total. The nonbuilding category
Across-the-board improvement in all three of McGraw-Hill Construction’s main construction categories pushed North Carolina’s contracts total 33% higher than a year ago, according to the company. The jump represented nearly $1.6 billion in new contracts moving forward during the month. Photo courtesy Hermosa Construction Group Hermosa Construction Group recently completed its Blue Ridge Community Health Center project in Hendersonville, N.C. Related Links: North Carolina's Nonresidential Slump Continues in April In North Carolina and Florida, Talk of Toll Roads Heats Up The nonbuilding sector, which includes infrastructure projects, showed the biggest relative gain, recording nearly $325.3 million in new contracts during
A 70% surge in new residential projects overcame downturns in the other sectors to boost the overall value of Florida’s May construction contracts to nearly $2.2 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction. The total was a 19% improvement over the same period of a year ago. Image courtesy Plaza Construction Group Florida Plaza Construction of Miami recently started work expanding the Dadeland Mall, a project the contractor reports is valued at more than $100 million. Related Links: Florida Contracts Keep Building Momentum in April Funding Makes Long-Planned Wekiva Parkway Project a Reality For the month of May, McGraw-Hill recorded just over
An elevated Tampa toll road with 23 spans, a tangle of flyovers and unexpected foundation issues is challenging the project team, while it is also revealing the limitations of contractor-obtained financing. The 65%-complete job, currently estimated at $412 million, instead of the original $389 million, is now expected to finish up next fall, or about six months later than originally planned. Related Links: Interstate 4/Selmon Connector Moves Ahead With Stimulus Funds PCL: ENR Southeast's 2011 Contractor of the Year Designed to boost the Port of Tampa, the 12-lane Tampa Interstate 4/Selmon Expressway Connector involves constructing a 1.1-mile north-south toll road
Numerous construction markets began to show signs of rebirth during 2011, and a considerable number of opportunistic and well-positioned Southeast contractors were able to start clawing back revenue previously lost during the recession. But it wasn't all good news, as ENR Southeast's annual Top Contractors ranking also reveals that while the seeds of recovery may have been sown for some in the past year, a broad-based resurgence remains elusive. Rendering courtesy of Hardin Construction Co. Housing markets are coming back in Florida. In Tampa, Hardin Construction is preparing to begin work on the Ella @ Encore apartment complex, part of
