Construction Starts Show Sharp Contraction in April

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Total construction starts declined 25% from March to April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $572.2 billion as COVID-19 and economic recession hit the construction sector. In April, nonresidential building starts fell 37% from March, while residential dropped 25%. The decline in nonbuilding construction starts was more tepid, falling just 5% due to strong activity in streets and bridges. On a year-to-date basis through four months of 2020, total construction starts were 8% lower than the same period in 2019. Nonresidential building starts were off 14%, while nonbuilding starts were down 15%. Residential starts, meanwhile, were up 2% on … Read more

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Stephanie Walker Joins JE Dunn Construction as Superintendent

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Industry Veteran Stephanie Walker recently joined JE Dunn Construction’s Savannah, Georgia office. Walker provides general leadership and management of various aspects of projects, from building successful project teams and planning construction sequencing to supervising budgets, safety and quality, as well as cultivating relationships with clients. Her industry experience spans 18 years including considerable operations experience. Most recently she was part of the project team delivering a new 14-story student residence hall on the Atlanta campus of Savannah College of Art and Design. She is a member of American Concrete Institute and International Code Council, both of which promote and develop … Read more

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Drop in April Construction Input Prices Could Help Stabilize Nonresidential Construction Sector, Says ABC

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Construction input prices fell 4.4% in April from the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index data. Nonresidential construction input prices declined 4.2% for the month. Among 11 subcategories, nine experienced monthly price declines. All three energy subcategories considered in this release were lower in April, with crude petroleum down 48.9%, unprocessed energy materials down 27.5% and natural gas down 20.4%. The only subcategories that didn’t experience monthly price decreases were plumbing fixtures and fittings, which remained virtually unchanged, and concrete products, which increased 0.1%. “There has been … Read more

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Milestone Reached on Lakeview Terrace Tower

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The final trusses were recently placed on the new five-story tower at Lakeview Terrace, a lakefront, gated retirement community in Umatilla, Florida. Hoar Construction is serving as general contractor on the $30-million expansion project, which includes the apartment tower, as well as a clubhouse and villas for the 100-acre campus north of Orlando. The tower includes a mix of one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, each with a screened-in patio terrace, full kitchen, living/dining room and den. Nine two-story villas include four units each with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two screened-in patio terraces, a full kitchen, two dens and a laundry room. … Read more

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Joint-Venture Tops Out Acute Care Hospital Wing Expansion

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The topping out of Orohealth’s new hospital tower, located in Oroville, California, was recently celebrated. The project team includes joint-venture partners Sundt Construction, Inc. and Modern Building, Inc., with CannonDesign serving as architect of record. The 159,751-square-foot expansion will add a five-story wing to the existing hospital and connect at the first and second floors. The acute care hospital wing will expand the existing 132-bed facility to a new total of 228 beds. The project consists of an ambulatory care center on the first floor, women’s and infant center including labor, delivery and recovery on the second floor, a third-floor … Read more

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