Though it has not been announced yet, the winner of the ENR Southwest 2014 Project of the Year has already been selected by the judges. The winner was culled from the winners in the categories for this year’s awards, a list of which can be found here,  and will be announced at our Best Projects Awards event Nov. 14 in Phoenix.

Information and registration for the Best Projects Awards events is available by clicking here.

While general contractors, owners, and developers all over the Southwest wait with baited breath for the announcement, others are working feverishly to obtain such accolades in 2015. Of course not every construction project has what it takes to be considered among the elite, but if it it’s being read about here, there is a good chance it does. Here are some noteworthy news from some of the hottest projects in New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada over the past week or so.

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The Nevada Department of Transportation went fast-track with repairs for Interstate 15 near Mesquite, Nov., which had been created by a Sept. 26 flash flood. Las Vegas Paving is the general contractor for the $1.4 million upgrade.

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In Arizona, Kitchell recently rejoiced as they completed the opening phase of their renovations to the Scottsdale Bible Church on Shea Blvd. and 76th Street in Scottsdale. The job included construction of the Grace Chapel, which acts as the gateway to the 18-acre property. They also worked on the special ministries classrooms and the student center, as well as remodeled administration areas, a large bathroom, and a kitchen.

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The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, AEW Capital Management and Panattoni Development Company, Inc. announced last week that San Diego-based Petco has begun construction on a distribution center in Reno. The center will be approximately 770,000 square feet.

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The University of Arizona has broken ground on their new 10-story biosciences partnership building in downtown Phoenix. Sundt/DPR, a joint venture of Sundt Construction, Inc. and DPR Construction, is leading the construction team. Plans are in place to construct 245,000-square-foot research building just north of the Health Sciences Education Buildings.The two-year construction schedule on the $136 million building is expected to translate into nearly 500 jobs initially and another 360 permanent jobs at build out.

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McCarthy Building Companies, in a joint effort with the City of Chandler, For Our City, Chandler Fire, and the Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program (I-HELP) are involved in a project to turn an old fire hazmat trailer into a mobile shower station and laundromat for the homeless. The trailer is equipped with three shower stalls, as well as a brand new washer and drier and was unveiled on Oct. 16.The value of the project is approximately $40,000.

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The Nevada State Transportation Board approved last week a $70 million, design-build improvement project for State Highway 439 to improve access to the Tesla battery factory outide of Reno.

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In Phoenix, on Oct. 13, Rider Levett Bucknall reported that construction spending in the United States is at it’s highest level since 2008. The statistic is due in part to construction costs increasing by 1.37% in the second quarter of 2014. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, construction put-in- place during June 2014 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $950.2 billion, which is 1.8% below the revised May estimate of $967.8 billion. The June 2014 figure is 5.5% above the June 2013 estimate of $900.3 billion. The value of construction for the first six months of this year was $445.1 billion, 7.8% above the same period in 2013.

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New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez announced last week that transloading firm NLG Energy Partners will invest $52 million in a facility in Milan, N.M., to serve the Four Corners energy industry. The facility is expected to be operational by the third quarter of 2015.

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McCarthy Building Companies was recently named as an approved general contracting services provider to the Mohave Educational Services Cooperative Inc.

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The Associated General Contractors of America issued a news release stating that Construction employment expanded in 220 metro areas, declined in 73 and was stagnant in 46 between August 2013 and August 2014. Association officials added that construction spending climbed to $961 billion from $915.3 billion between August 2013 and August 2014.