The NAIOP Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Sentiment Index, which predicts general conditions in the commercial real estate industry over the next 12 months, ticked slightly upwards in September, compared to six months earlier. A majority of respondents plan to hire employees, even though the cost of materials and labor related to construction continue to be causes…
Commercial
NAIOP: Commercial Real Estate Industry Outlook Remains Positive
The NAIOP Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Sentiment Index which predicts general conditions in the commercial real estate industry over the next 12 months, ticked slightly upwards in September, compared to six months earlier. A majority of respondents plan to hire employees, even though the cost of materials and labor related to construction continue to be causes of…
NAWIC Announces 2019 Construction Excellence Award Recipients
The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) is pleased to announce the recipients of its inaugural Construction Excellence Awards. The mission of these awards is to recognize outstanding projects in the areas of residential, commercial and civil heavy highway construction. The Residential Construction Excellence Award winner is CF Evans Construction for their Meeting Street…
Construction Begins on Charleston Tech Center in South Carolina Opportunity Zone
Hunt Real Estate Capital, Iron Bridge Capital, LLC, and the Charleston Digital Corridor are pleased to announce the commencement of construction of the Charleston Tech Center (CTC), an architecturally modern, six-story office building located in Downtown Charleston, SC. The CTC is targeted to start-up, early-stage, and mature tech companies. The development of the CTC, a 92,000-square-foot building…
Distribution / Warehouse
A M King Completes Expansion for Cheney Brothers, Inc. in Statesville, NC
A M King, a fully integrated Design-Build firm, has completed a large-scale expansion project for Cheney Brothers, Inc.’s distribution center located on a 30-acre site within the Statesville (N.C.) Business Park. The 169,338-square-foot cold storage addition, which brings the total building size to 265,000 square feet, allows Cheney Brothers to expand its refrigeration capabilities in…
Industrial Demand to Remain Level as Economy Steadies
According to the NAIOP Industrial Space Demand Forecast, First Quarter 2019 the forecast for net industrial space demand will remain steady in 2019 at approximately 57 million square feet per quarter for 2019. Dr. Hany Guirguis of Manhattan College and Dr. Joshua Harris of New York University report that industrial demand will be off to…
Self-Storage New Construction on the Rise in 2017
New construction of self-storage facilities is on the rise, with approximately 900 facilities expected to be constructed in 2017 – a 50% increase on the 600 new projects constructed last year, according to the latest research from CBRE. Dallas is expected to see the most new construction this year, with an estimated 49 projects and…
Amazon’s Announces Renewable Energy Plans
Amazon today announced a new initiative to generate clean energy by installing solar panels on its fulfillment facilities around the world. The company plans to deploy large-scale solar systems on rooftops of more than 15 fulfillment and sortation centers in the U.S. this year and is planning to deploy solar systems on 50 fulfillment and…
Government Facilities
Corvias Renovates 480 on-Base Houses at North Carolina Military Base
Corvias, a partner to the U.S. military for the construction and management of on-base housing, nears completion of renovating 480 homes at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Renovations are expected to be completed this summer. “We are in the final stretch of renovations with just 10 homes remaining,” said John G. Picerne, Founder and CEO…
Turning Old in to New In Durham, NC
The new Durham County Administration Building will be the central location for Durham County’s management and administrative functions. Once home to the Durham County Judicial Building (constructed in 1978) the newly renovated structure will house nine county departments, community meeting spaces, a fitness center, TV studio, and two-ground floor retail tenants. The design had to…
Update on State Government Complex Buildings Impacted by Raleigh Fire
Several State Government Complex buildings were impacted by the five-alarm fire in downtown Raleigh on the night of March 16. Affected buildings are expected to resume normal operations on Monday, March 20. The Department of Administration’s Facility Management Division today conducted walk-through inspections of each state government building in the vicinity of the fire to…
CFMA Presentation of The Release of a Report on an Analysis of Construction Projects with Federal Agencies and the Cause of Disputes
The Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) held a press conference in Washington, DC, to release the findings of their report, which examines the extent to which courts attribute fault to contractors as opposed to government agencies when disputes arise and are adjudicated. Public opinion often concludes that cost overruns and chronic delays are frequently the…
Health Care
Ameresco Begins Phase Two of Energy Savings Project at the Medical University of South Carolina
–Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC), a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy company, today announced that it has begun phase two of a comprehensive energy savings project at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), one of the nation’s top academic health science centers and the largest medical school in South Carolina. MUSC financed this project under an energy savings performance contract (ESPC) and…
New Medical Office Building Completed by Mashburn Construction in Irmo, S.C.
Columbia, S.C.— Mashburn Construction is pleased to announce the completion of Irmo Wellness Center, a two-story medical office building in Irmo, S.C. This is the second building that Mashburn has constructed for South Carolina Internal Medicine. The 43,480-square-foot building was constructed using 66 tilt-up concrete panels, allowing for a more aggressive schedule and a most cost-effective…
Robins & Morton Projects Recognized for Excellence in Construction
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) announced Robins & Morton as the 2019 National Excellence in Construction Pyramid Award winner for two projects at the 29th Annual Excellence in Construction Gala on March 27 in Long Beach, California. Robins & Morton’s Pyramid Award winners include: AdventHealth Carrollwood: Healthcare, $25 million to $100 million category. Located in…
Construction Complete on Award-Winning, Ambulatory, Pediatric Dental Surgery Center in Charlotte
Charlotte, NC — A M King and The Keith Corporation (TKC) announces the completion of a single specialty, dental-only ambulatory surgery center in the University area of Charlotte. The 11,000-square-foot facility is located directly behind Novant University Medical Plaza at the intersection of Medical Plaza Drive and W.T. Harris Boulevard. Carolinas Center for Ambulatory Dentistry…
Hotels / Hospitality
Blending Business, Friendship & Family: Creative Builders and Saskatoon Lodge Partnership
Will McCauley and the team at Creative Builders have gone back and forth with Greenville, S.C.’s Saskatoon Lodge Restaurant and Event Center team, trading places as vendors, customers, and coworkers. Creative Builders played a large role in constructing the restaurant’s new venue on Halton Road — and they also did the upfit renovation that turned…
Sustainability in Hotels Explores Growing Emphasis On Green Building Practices in the Hospitality Industry
A new report from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) suggests that sustainable building practices, including those involving energy and water conservation as well as waste reduction, are increasingly being incorporated throughout the hotel sector to add value and provide a competitive edge to properties. Sustainability in Hotels: Opportunities and Trends Shaping the Future of Hospitality assesses the state…
Robins & Morton Projects Recognized for Excellence in Construction
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) announced Robins & Morton as the 2019 National Excellence in Construction Pyramid Award winner for two projects at the 29th Annual Excellence in Construction Gala on March 27 in Long Beach, California. Robins & Morton’s Pyramid Award winners include: AdventHealth Carrollwood: Healthcare, $25 million to $100 million category. Located in…
Tindall’s South Carolina Division to Provide Precast Concrete for Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort Parking Deck
Tindall Corporation’s South Carolina Division announced that it will provide precast concrete components for a new parking structure that adjoins the new 725 room hotel and convention center expansion at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, North Carolina. The project is set to begin in March 2019. “This structure will provide our convention center, hotel…
Industrial
A M King Completes Innovative IMP Manufacturing Facility in Upstate South Carolina
A M King has finished design and construction of a greenfield facility for TrueCore, a manufacturer of Insulated Metal Panels (IMP) for use in construction and renovation of cold storage and food processing facilities, as well as dry industrial and manufacturing projects. The building sits on a 14-acre site in Hunter Industrial Park in Laurens,…
Livent Hosts Groundbreaking Ceremony for Construction of Additional Lithium Hydroxide Production Facilities in Bessemer City, North Carolina
Livent Corporation (NYSE: LTHM) is pleased to announce that it will host a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, at its manufacturing plant in Bessemer City, North Carolina, for the construction of additional lithium hydroxide production facilities. The expansion project is expected to enable Livent to increase its production of lithium hydroxide by 5,000 metric tons per year. …
Industrial Hemp Producer to Locate in North Carolina
Carolina Botanicals, a company formed to process industrial hemp, will create 30 jobs as it establishes operations in Columbus County. The company will invest $3.46 million in its new facility, located in Tabor City. “Today’s announcement is the latest example of the growing market for hemp-related products,” said Secretary Copeland. “And we know companies like…
Spartan Motor Locates in Charleston, SC
Spartan Motors, Inc., a leader in fleet, work truck and specialty service vehicle manufacturing, is establishing operations in Charleston County. The $1.15 million investment is expected to create 308 new jobs. “Spartan Motors is pleased to add North Charleston to our growing global manufacturing footprint,” Spartan Motors, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Daryl Adams. We…
Mission Critical / Data Centers
Lowe’s Chooses NC for Technology Hub
Home improvement retailer Lowe’s is locating a new $153-million global technology center in Charlotte, North Carolina, creating more than 1,600 jobs. “We’re excited to stand up our new global technology center here in North Carolina to continue to drive our company’s growth,” said Marvin R. Ellison, president and chief executive officer of the company based…
Google Plans South Carolina Data Center Expansion
Google recently announced plans to make significant capital investments thought out the U.S., including at its data center in South Carolina. Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote on his blog that the technology company was planing to invest over $13 billion in new facilities and expansions. “Today we’re announcing over $13 billion in investments throughout 2019…
Multi-Family Residential
Clemson’s Innovative Construction Method Offers Solution for Rapid, Low-Tech Sustainable Housing
Forget baseball and apple pie. As an architect, there is little else more American to me than wood-framed houses. A 2017 national housing census reported 92% of new single-family homes are framed with wood. This is hardly surprising, as light framing with dimension lumber has been the dominant method in the U.S. ever since the…
U.S. Green Building Council Report Reveals a 19% Growth in LEED Residential Market
Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), released a new report, LEED in Motion: Residential, showing the growing green trends in the homes market. The report reveals that green, LEED-certified homes have grown 19% since 2017 and are at an all-time high with nearly 500,000 single family, multifamily and affordable housing LEED-certified units globally and more…
FMI Releases 2019 Homebuilders Construction Industry Compensation Data
FMI Corporation, the leading provider of management consulting and investment banking services to the built environment, is pleased to announce the release of the 2019 Homebuilders Construction industry compensation data. In today’s market, attracting and retaining talent requires not only competitive compensation but also a comprehensive package of total rewards and tools to deliver critical…
Armada Hoffler Properties Announces Investment in New Development Project in Charleston, SC
Armada Hoffler Properties, Inc. (NYSE: AHH) announced today that it will invest in Nexton Square, a new open-air lifestyle center currently under construction in Summerville, South Carolina. Located at the entrance to a new 4,500 acre master-planned community, Nexton Square will serve as the retail gateway to over 10,000 new single-family and multifamily residential units…
Office Buildings
Craig Gauldin Davis Recognized with Historic Preservation Award
The comprehensive restoration of York County Courthouse was recognized with an Honor Award by Preservation South Carolina, the SC Department of Archives and History, and the Office of the Governor. The award recognizes the exceptional efforts employed by the County to restore this circa 1914 public building which is listed on the National Register of…
Elevator Safety Issues with Advice for Building Owners
The Elevator Consultants (TEC,) a leading global elevator consulting firm, has issued a call to building owners in the wake of dozens of elevator and escalator-related incidents in recent years, to take a hard look at the maintenance of their equipment and take action to mitigate their own risk. Elevators and other vertical transportation equipment are…
‘101 Ways to Build Smarter’ eBook, Featuring Ideas from Skender, Corporate Real Estate Executives and Developers to Offset Rapidly Escalating Construction Prices
Construction costs have been consistently rising just when the industry can least afford it. Today, a new report from Skender offers “101 Ways to Build Smarter.” The 18-page eBook, available for download at www.skender.com/buildsmarter/, is a resource filled with quality-enhancing and value-optimizing possibilities for building owners, developers, architects, brokers, contractors, corporate real estate and workplace…
Report Finds 9.5% Premium for High Performance Homes in North Carolina
North Carolina Building Performance Association (NCBPA), the state’s trade association for building performance companies and professionals, announced today the release of its third annual energy efficient, green and high-performance home and building report. The report identifies 34,152 high-performance homes and buildings being built or retrofitted in the state in 2016 and finds a 9.5% price…
Power / Energy
Duke Energy Linemen to Compete at International Competition
Seventy-seven Duke Energy linemen from North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky will compete in the International Lineman’s Rodeo on Oct. 19 in Bonner Springs, Kan. Now in its 35th year, the rodeo attracts the best linemen from around the world. Participants travel from as far away as Australia. More than 320 individual competitors and nearly 250 teams will vie for top honors. Events test job-related skills such…
Anderson County, S.C., Duke Energy Carolinas Partners on Battery Storage Project
Duke Energy Carolinas is partnering with Anderson County, S.C., to build an energy storage project at the Anderson Civic Center that will be part of the company’s long-term strategy to integrate battery technology into the smart-thinking grid it is building in the Carolinas. The battery project will also provide power to a facility that is critical…
Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Case Regarding Critically Needed Atlantic Coast Pipeline
The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a critical infrastructure project jointly developed by Dominion Energy, Duke Energy and Southern Company that would bring much-needed natural gas supplies to the Southeast, as well as economic growth in rural areas of the region. Late last year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit vacated the U.S….
Duke Energy Honors Six Companies with 2019 Power Partner Award
Six outstanding organizations have been chosen to receive Duke Energy’s long-standing Power Partner award for 2019. The Power Partner award program, which began in 1992, honors businesses and other organizations that achieve notable results in categories including solutions innovation, community excellence, economic development, sustainability innovation, storm restoration and renewable excellence. Each of the 2019 Power…
Retail / Shopping Centers
U.S. Green Building Council Report Reveals Prominence of LEED Certification Among Major Retailers Pursuing ESG Goals
Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released a new report, LEED in Motion: Retail, showing the prevalence of LEED certification in retail spaces around the world. LEED is used in more than 12,500 retail locations globally, allowing major brands like TD Bank, Starbucks, 7-Eleven and more to demonstrate achievement of ESG goals to their investors, customers…
Carvana to Invest More than $30 Million in Concord, NC
Carvana, a leading e-commerce platform for buying and selling used cars, will locate a new inspection and reconditioning facility in Cabarrus County, creating more than 400 jobs. The company will invest more than $30 million in Concord over the coming years. “The online marketplace only works for buyers and sellers when hardworking people are moving…
Carowinds Makes Bold Strike with Biggest Investment to Date
Carowinds will mark a turning point in its evolution as a destination amusement park when it introduces Copperhead Strike, the Carolinas’ first double launch coaster, for the 2019 season. Copperhead Strike simulates the harrowing chase of getaway cars racing through rolling farmland, sending riders on two launches through a relentless winding ride over half a…
BB&T Reinforces Commitment to Eastern North Carolina
BB&T Corporation (NYSE : BBT ) announced it will build an approximately 95,000-square-foot office facility on Pine Street in downtown Wilson, N.C. The new $35 million building will accommodate 650 BB&T associates who are currently working in the twin buildings at 223 West Nash St. or elsewhere in Wilson. BB&T expects to begin site work on…
Roads, Bridges and Highways
Balfour Beatty Awarded $167 Million Contract by North Carolina Department of Transportation to Construct U.S. 70 Havelock Bypass
Balfour Beatty has been awarded a $167 million contract by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to construct the U.S. 70 Havelock Bypass located in Carteret and Craven counties. The Havelock Bypass, located at U.S. 70 from North of Pine Grove to North of Carteret County Line, will consist of a four-lane, median-divided highway…
Fluor Joint Venture Selected for Vital Asheville, N.C. Interstate Expansion Project
Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) announced today that its joint venture together with United Infrastructure Group, Inc. was selected by the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to widen and improve a 7.5-mile stretch of Interstate 26 from Exit 40 (N.C. 280/Airport Road) to the I-40 interchange in Asheville, N.C. Fluor will book the $263 million contract in…
Vehicle Crashes at Job Sites Put Construction Workers and Motorists at Risk
Associated General Contractors of America Launches Radio and Media Campaign to Urge Summer Travel Motorists to Slow Down and Be Alert amid Growing Concerns with Highway Work Zone Crashes and Fatalities Sixty-seven percent of highway contractors report that motor vehicles had crashed into their construction work zones during the past year, according to the results…
ECU Professor Teams with S.T. Wooten to Help Solve Concrete Problem for NCDOT
An East Carolina University Construction Management professor and a local construction company have teamed up in search of a solution to a problem facing the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). The NCDOT’s State Transportation Improvement Plan identifies approximately 100 bridges and more than 700 miles of roadways in eastern North Carolina’s 28 counties that…
Schools (K-12 and Higher Education)
Creating a Safe Campus: The Power of Environmental Design
For years, American citizens with a deep and abiding concern for the future of education in our country have been on high alert in the wake of constant threats to school safety. McMillan Pazdan Smith recognizes that comprehensive, integrated, and systematic solutions must be sought after to address the multi-faceted set of problems that continue to lead to violent…
ECU’s Campus Student Center Wins SEA of NC Award for Excellence in Structural Engineering
East Carolina University’s Campus Student Center received a 2019 Award for Excellence in Structural Engineering from the Structural Engineers Association of North Carolina (SEA of NC). Each year, SEA of NC highlights some the best examples of structural engineering ingenuity throughout the state. Stewart collaborated amongst practice areas and with key partners to design and develop the new…
AIA to Host Dialogue on Impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Architects Foundation will host a dialogue with author and photographer Andrew Feiler on Wednesday, Oct. 30 to explore the impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The event will kick off Feiler’s exhibit, “Without Regard to Sex, Race or Color: The Past, Present, and Future of One Historically…
Hub at Douthit Hills Earns Merit Award from The American Institute of Architects South Carolina
The centerpiece of Clemson University’s newest residential community has been lauded for its architectural design excellence. The Hub at Douthit Hills, which encompasses more than 118,000 square feet across a three-level structure, received a merit award in the new construction category from The American Institute of Architects South Carolina. Heather Mitchell of the Boudreaux Group…
Transportation / Ports
AGC Names VP of Congressional Relations for Infrastructure Advancement
Associated General Contractors of America hires Infrastructure-focused former House and Senate Staffer, Murphie Barrett, as its New Vice President of Congressional Relations for Infrastructure Advancement Murphie Barrett, a former congressional staffer who played key roles in crafting several recent infrastructure laws, has joined the Associated General Contractors of America as its new vice president of…
Granite Awarded $15 Million Airfield Improvement Project in North Carolina
Granite (NYSE:GVA) announced today that GWWH, the joint venture team comprised of Granite, Webcor Construction LP, Weeks Marine, Inc., and Healy Tibbitts Builders, Inc. has been awarded a $15 million design build contract by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for the Recapitalize Airfield Pavements and Airfield Lighting Project in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Granite’s…
U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announces $1.4 Million in Infrastructure Grants to One Airport in North Carolina
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao today announced that theFederal Aviation Administration(FAA) will award $477 million in airport infrastructure grants, the third allotment of the total $3.18 billion inAirport Improvement Program(AIP) funding for airports across the United States. This significant investment in airport improvements in North Carolina will fund construction and rehabilitation projects…
Why Public Transit is a Key Economic Issue for Growing cities
We’d love to take our daily commute for granted. Except, we can’t. It is essential that we continue to make public transportation as efficient as possible for commuters. Over the decades, as a nation we have put investing in our transportation infrastructure, particularly our bus and rail systems, on the back burner. The result: Today’s…
More Markets
Creating a Safe Campus: The Power of Environmental Design
For years, American citizens with a deep and abiding concern for the future of education in our country have been on high alert in the wake of constant threats to school safety. McMillan Pazdan Smith recognizes that comprehensive, integrated, and systematic solutions must be sought after to address the multi-faceted set of problems that continue to lead to violent…
ECU’s Campus Student Center Wins SEA of NC Award for Excellence in Structural Engineering
East Carolina University’s Campus Student Center received a 2019 Award for Excellence in Structural Engineering from the Structural Engineers Association of North Carolina (SEA of NC). Each year, SEA of NC highlights some the best examples of structural engineering ingenuity throughout the state. Stewart collaborated amongst practice areas and with key partners to design and develop the new…
A M King Completes Innovative IMP Manufacturing Facility in Upstate South Carolina
A M King has finished design and construction of a greenfield facility for TrueCore, a manufacturer of Insulated Metal Panels (IMP) for use in construction and renovation of cold storage and food processing facilities, as well as dry industrial and manufacturing projects. The building sits on a 14-acre site in Hunter Industrial Park in Laurens,…
Livent Hosts Groundbreaking Ceremony for Construction of Additional Lithium Hydroxide Production Facilities in Bessemer City, North Carolina
Livent Corporation (NYSE: LTHM) is pleased to announce that it will host a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, at its manufacturing plant in Bessemer City, North Carolina, for the construction of additional lithium hydroxide production facilities. The expansion project is expected to enable Livent to increase its production of lithium hydroxide by 5,000 metric tons per year. …