As work on ENR Southwest’s 2014 Best Projects awards is nearing its end, a look at some of the highlights from the past couple of weeks may make one wonder how projects ever get built in the first place. From financial woes to personnel losses, many things must go right for a project to even get off the ground. Ultimately, however, new projects are announced and eventually spring up.

Some are impressive and may eventually be nominated as a Best Project. Others are not but they are what they are supposed to be: serviceable and well-built.

Without further delay, here are some news of note wrangled for this edition of the Southwest Roundup.

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In Nevada, Sen. Harry Reid recently announced a $70 million grant for Fulcrum BioEnergy Sierra Biofuels Plant, to be located in Storey County. The grant is being doled out by the Department of Defense’s Advanced Drop-in Biofuel Production Project. The awarding of this grant comes just more than a month after the Sierra Biofuel plant had a finalized a $105 million loan guarantee.

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The company that partnered with Apple computers to operate the under-construction plant in Mesa, Ariz., that will manufacture screens for electronic devices, announced Monday it will file for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The firm said in a press release it was taking the action to acquire new funding and made no statements as to the whether it would impact their partnership with Apple in Mesa.

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The Arizona Builders Alliance and the Arizona chapter of the Association of General Contractors are going to host a Joint Economic Forecast Seminar on Oct. 15 in Phoenix. The seminar will be an hour and a half running from 4 to 6 p.m. at 1815 W. Adams St. AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson will boldly make predictions about Arizona’s construction industry as it moves into the year 2015. Tickets are $20 for members and $40 for non members. To register, visit http://www.azbuilders.org/events/aba-member-dinner-economic-forecast/

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Jerry Martin, who founded Albuquerque-based Gerald A. Martin Ltd. general contracting in 1974, died last week, aged 84.

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Shepley Bulfinch have moved their Phoenix base of operations to one of central Phoenix’s iconic buildings, Phoenix Financial Center, 3443 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. The move was made in the midst of the financial center’s 50th birthday. To help the building celebrate in style, Shepley Bulfinch is going to be renovating the iconic structure.

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Arizona State University recently got approval from the board of regents on a $256 million dollar renovation project to Sun Devil Stadium. The Student Athletic Facility is a recent addition to the project. Located at the north end of the stadium, the approximately 84,500-square-foot facility will be integrated into the existing stadium structure, and will include office and administrative spaces, meeting rooms, support space, study rooms, storage and equipment space, locker rooms, lounge areas, athletic training areas, and conference areas.

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In Chandler Ariz., a Sundt - McCarthy Joint Venture was selected as the general contractor for the Ocotillo Water Reclamation Facility expansion and process improvement project. It will be a $120 million project that is going to include a $20 million upgrade to the existing wastewater treatment plant, as well as construction of a new $100 million dollar expansion facility. All in all the construction is going to reduce the pollution output and sludge production of the plant. Construction is expected to begin in early 2015 and be complete by late 2017.

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The Make A Wish foundation of Southern Nevada and a group of construction firms completed a project Sunday designed to soothe the final days of nine-year-old Vinnie Huebner. The fourth grader, who spends most of his time in school or therapy, wished for his backyard to be transformed into a sanctuary including a spa to be hoisted by crane into his back yard. He survived a stroke at birth and has since lived with Cerebral Palsy, hemiparesis, epilepsy, autism, ADHD. Valley Crest Landscape led the project and brought in partners: Synlawn provided the turf; Penny Electric and Kalb Construction prepared for the area for the spa; and Trusted Choice and Mahsheed Barghisavar provided additional funds.