Construction Spending Hits 2.5 Year Peak in May

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Construction spending in May reached the highest level since December 2009 as widespread gains in private nonresidential construction, single-family and multifamily homebuilding more than offset a continuing downturn in public construction, according to an analysis of new federal data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said they expect the disparity between private and public construction is likely to persist, although enactment of a federal highway and transit bill will cushion the decline in public spending. “It is encouraging to see such a broad-based pickup in private construction,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. Simonson noted … Read more

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DPR Construction Completes Ground-Up Net-Zero-Energy-Designed Facility for The David and Lucile Packard Foundation

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LOS ALTOS, Calif. — DPR Construction celebrates the ribbon-cutting of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation’s new Bay Area office building, which joins a growing trend of net-zero energy facilities in the United States. Designed to use less energy as well as generate its own power onsite, the new building, which is also targeting LEED-Platinum certification, offers a replicable model for attaining the highest level of sustainable development in a commercial office building setting and is one of the first of its size and type in the nation. The 50,000-square-foot, two-story wood and steel structure, designed by architect EHDD, blends … Read more

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New Construction Starts to Rise 2% in 2012, Says Outlook Midyear Update

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NEW YORK — McGraw-Hill Construction released its 2012 Dodge Construction Outlook Midyear Update projections, which revise the forecasts provided last October at the firm’s annual Outlook Conference in Washington, D.C. The Outlook Midyear Update predicts that total construction starts for the U.S. will increase 2 percent this year to $445 billion, up from the $434 billion reported for 2011. While slightly better than the flat performance for 2012 construction starts predicted last fall, the updated forecast still portrays an industry struggling to gain upward momentum. “The construction industry has yet to move from a hesitant up-and-down pattern to more sustained … Read more

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Analysis Shows Cost of Hiring Quotas for Federal Construction Contractors Underestimated

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Administration officials significantly underestimated the cost to construction employers of proposed new hiring quotas for federal contractors according to a new analysis released by the Associated General Contractors of America. According to the analysis, a proposed new hiring quota for the disabled would cost employers 30 times more than officials predict, while a new hiring quota for veterans would cost employers 20 times more than originally estimated. “The administration has grossly underestimated the financial and administrative burdens that these new rules would impose, particularly on small businesses,” said Brian Turmail, the association's spokesperson. “If the proposed rules take effect, many … Read more

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First Commercial Solar Energy Project on American Indian Trust Lands Given Green Light

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of the Obama Administration's all of the above approach to American energy, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar approved a 350-megawatt solar energy project on tribal trust land of the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians (Tribe) in Clark County, Nev. The project marks a milestone as the first utility-scale solar project approved for development on tribal lands, and is one of the many steps the administration has taken to help strengthen tribal communities. The project is also the 31st utility-scale renewable energy project that Interior has approved since 2009 as part of a Department-wide effort … Read more

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