In today’s construction news, read about the United States of America, the construction company Skanska has been awarded two construction contracts. Meanwhile, according to an announcement made by the Department of Defense on June 5, authorities from the United States Navy have chosen seven companies to compete for over two billion dollars in construction task orders for work across the Southeast. Finally, geographers, topographers, demographers, and owners of professional sports teams are all aware of a reality that is not only straightforward but also entertaining: cities have personas.
Skanska Wins Significant $514 Million US Construction Contracts
Original Source: Skanska secures major US construction contracts worth $514m
Kanska won two US construction contracts.
First Massachusetts Department of Transportation contract is $274m (Skr2.8bn).
Lowell’s Rourke Bridge is designed and replaced under this contract.
The project involves removing the bridge, building a new one, and reconstructing the road.
Drainage and stormwater management, traffic management, traffic signal modifications, lighting, landscaping, highway utility relocation, and other bridge works will also be included.
The company’s US order bookings for Q2 will include the project.
Work begins immediately and is expected to finish in February 2030.
Virginia Tech also awarded Skanska a supplemental contract to develop a College of Engineering building.
The other deal and the $240m contract will be ordered together.
This project continues from the destruction of the 15,400m² Randolph Hall.
Construction is underway to renovate Hancock Hall and connect it to the new Mitchell Hall engineering facility, which will be one of the largest structures on the Blacksburg campus.
The new facility will house aerospace and ocean engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, and engineering education.
One of the nation’s largest university-owned wind tunnels, advanced classrooms, instructional and research facilities, and collaborative spaces will also be included.
Since early 2024, the project plans to finish by late 2028.
Skanska was given a $102m contract to rebuild State Route 78 in San Diego County, California, in April.
Seven Companies Are Selected by the US Navy for a $2B Southeast IDIQ Construction Contract
Original Source: US Navy Picks Seven Firms for $2B Southeast IDIQ Construction Contract
The Dept. of Defense said June 5 that the Navy selected seven firms to compete for roughly $2 billion in Southeast construction task orders.
NAVFAC Southeast won the $1.999-billion firm-fixed-price IDIQ multiple award construction contract (MACC) for new construction, renovation, demolition, and repair projects.
In a statement, NAVFAC Southeast commanding officer Capt. Miguel Dieguez called the deal the largest contracting tool ever. The deal “will provide the essential capacity through a highly qualified cadre of contractors to deliver mission-critical infrastructure investments across the Southeast region for years to come,” he said.
BL Harbert International LLC, Gilbane Federal, Hensel Phelps, RQ Construction, Sauer Construction, Whiting-Turner Contracting, and Walsh Federal LLC were chosen. Officials claimed 18 contractors applied for the job.
Lindsay Betteridge, supervisory contract expert for NAVFAC Southeast, said MACCs pre-qualify contractors to simplify project management and ensure contractor reliability.
“MACCs save the command and government time and resources,” Betteridge said.
Contract work must finish by June 2030.
Award for Guantanamo Bay Hospital
On June 3, NAVFAC Southeast awarded DPR-RQ Construction LLC a $227.6-million fixed-price contract to establish an ambulatory care center and dentistry clinic at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
According to the Defense Dept. contract award notice, DPR-RQ, a DPR Construction subsidiary that does technical services for the Defense Dept., was the single bidder.
Unexecuted contract options would increase the value to $237.1 million. NAVFAC is gradually sponsoring it.
The complex would replace outmoded medical facilities for military members and their families. Plans call for completion in September 2029.
The Driving Force for American City Personalities’ Construction
Original Source: The construction engine behind U.S. city personalities
Geographers, topographers, demographers, and pro-league sports team owners know a fascinating fact: cities have personalities.
Location is one of the main influences on a city’s culture. Has the city a mountain backdrop, a historical river trading route, or an ocean-going or Great Lakes-bound freight port?
Main urban employers are another important factor in a city’s character. Is it a government town, intellectual hub, high-tech hub, financial center, or manufacturing hub?
An respect for a city’s ethnic diversity, both current and past, is essential to comprehending its quirks and finer points.
Some cities’ symphony orchestras, opera companies, and performing arts centers are cultural benchmarks. Or a city’s athletic champions, even perennial underdogs, inspire distinct pride.
Construction’s Impact on U.S. Cities
Important for construction is that a city’s design quietly or overtly, and sometimes grandly, encapsulates all these variables.
Without designers, contractors, building supply producers, and on-site workers, no architecture exists. Numerous factors affect economic growth and construction in America’s main cities.
We’ll start with BLS construction employment year-over-year percentage changes.
All major California cities have had YoY construction job declines, with Riverside decreasing 5.1%. Next were Los Angeles and Oakland (both down 3.4%), San Francisco (down 2.3%), San Diego (0.7%), and San Jose (0.6%).
Florida and California’s biggest cities differ greatly. Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, and Miami all saw construction job growth of 3.8%, 3.0%, 2.9%, and 2.4%, respectively.
Oklahoma City, up 6.9%; Washington, D.C., up 6.4%; Kansas City, up 4.9%; Charlotte, up 3.0% (was up 4.0% to 6.0% through 2021, 2022, and 2023); San Antonio, up 2.5% (was up 8.0% in November-December, 2023); and Phoenix, up 1.1% (was up 10.0% from mid-2022 to early 2024).
The past decade saw Nashville rise 5.0% to 10.0%, but it’s down 2.6% currently.
Cincinnati rose 9.2% YoY, Columbus 2.5% (it was over 10.0% in the second half of 2024), and Cleveland 1.5%.
Major factors driving American growth
How have these statistics been influenced?
The portable storage container firm PODS produces an annual Moving Trends study. People leave Los Angeles, northern California, Long Island, Central Jersey, Chicago, and Boston due to overcrowding, high costs, and high insurance rates.
Charlotte, Raleigh, Wilmington, and Greenville-Spartanburg in North or South Carolina, Nashville and Knoxville in Tennessee, and Jacksonville, Myrtle Beach, and Ocala in Florida are seeing move-ins rather than move-outs. A better work-recreation balance and cheaper living costs encourage move-ins.
In a PDF available online, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows that the median sales price of an existing single-family home in San Jose is over five times more than in Jacksonville.
ProptechOS has ranked the Top 10 U.S. cities by whether they are “smart” and future-ready by assessing 16 factors in the areas of connectivity, green infrastructure, and tech sector jobs.
Due to their longstanding success in attracting high-tech startup firms and venture funding, Seattle (1st), San Jose (4th), Boston (6th), and San Francisco (7th) should rank high on this list. Miami (2nd), Austin (3rd), Oakland (5th), New York (8th), Los Angeles (9th), and Atlanta (10th) complete the other six positions.
The three essential connectivity and infrastructure subset criteria rank Austin first. Oakland and Seattle lead green infrastructure equally. Atlanta leads IT job markets, with Oakland a half-step behind.
An international view on city strengths and shortcomings, Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index considers economic growth, human capital, quality of life, environment, and governance. America has 19 frontrunning 50 spots, 40%.
New York is #1, San Jose, Seattle, Boston, and San Francisco are in the Top 10. From 11 to 50, L.A., Washington, Dallas, Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, San Diego, Phoenix, Miami, Austin, and Portland are in the next tier. The previous paragraphs mentioned many of these.
Lasting Impact of Construction on U.S. Cities
Finally, explore some snippets of information on proposed or impending construction projects that may shape their communities.
The 55-story highest mass timber structure in the world will be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The mixed-use project includes commercial, hotel, office, and residential space.
The NFL and NBA are planning new arenas in Washington, D.C. and Oklahoma City.
Columbus’ John Glenn International Airport will get a $2 billion terminal.
Different regions’ construction trends define and reflect city identities. Each city’s architectural environment reflects its economic, social, and cultural factors.
Summary of today’s construction news
To sum it up, the work is currently moving forward with the renovation of a piece of Hancock Hall in order to link to the new construction of the Mitchell Hall engineering building, which is scheduled to become one of the largest structures on the Blacksburg campus. The Mitchell Hall building will be five stories tall and will cover a total area of 28,500 square meters. One of the departments that will be housed in the future building is engineering education, followed by chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, and aerospace and ocean engineering.
Meanwhile, companies such as BL Harbert International LLC, Gilbane Federal, Hensel Phelps, RQ Construction LLC, Sauer Construction LLC, The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., and Walsh Federal LLC are among those that have been chosen. According to the officials, there were initially 18 contractors who submitted their qualifications for the work. In a statement, Lindsay Betteridge, a supervisory contract expert for NAVFAC Southeast, stated that the utilization of MACCs for the purpose of pre-qualifying contractors improves the efficiency of project management and guarantees the dependability of contractors.
Finally, there are plans to construct a mass timber tower in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that will be 55 stories tall, making it the largest mass timber construction in the world. It is envisioned that the project will be a mixed-use building that will include residential, commercial, and hotel premises in addition to office space. There are plans in the works to construct brand new venues for major league sports in Oklahoma City (NBA) and Washington, District of Columbia (NFL). At the John Glenn International Airport in Columbus, Ohio, there are plans to construct a brand new terminal that will cost $2 billion.
