Commercial
U.S. President Trump announced a 50% tariff on multiple Canadian imports effective August 19, which could significantly impact prices of key construction materials such as cement and concrete. Legal experts warn that contractors need to immediately review existing contracts and consider incorporating price escalation clauses in bids to address soaring costs and uncertainty.
At the start of summer, the construction industry enters its peak season. Longer daylight and warmer weather create a working window for seasonally affected projects such as road upgrades. Several major contractors have announced recent project wins, including mega-projects with timelines spanning several years, with construction teams set to push forward during the warmer months.
The NFL's Kansas City Chiefs announced they have appointed Burns & McDonnell, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, to provide owner's representative services for their upcoming $300 million headquarters and training facility in Olathe, Kansas. The facility, expected to open in 2031, will support the team's football and business operations.
The New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) manages a $34 billion project portfolio. New Commissioner Paul Ochoa plans to expand the use of alternative delivery methods like design-build and leverage the extension of the joint bidding law to accelerate project delivery. This article is a summary of the exclusive interview.
A latest research report from Bank of America indicates that the rapid expansion of AI data centers is reshaping the US electricity demand landscape. Over the next five years, the US needs to add more than 230GW of generation capacity, but regulated utilities are expected to add only about 93GW of certified supply, leaving a gap of over 100GW. Data center loads could reach 125GW, driving a 4.1% compound annual growth rate in electricity demand from 2026 to 2030. Tight supply of large gas turbines is prompting developers to turn to on-site gas engines, while utilities are extending coal plant operations, deploying batteries, and advancing transmission upgrades.
Tutor Perini's construction subsidiary has won a $140 million contract for the renovation and expansion of an Oklahoma casino, including a new seven-story, 130-room hotel tower.
This edition of Punch List focuses on key developments in the construction industry this week: New York State's suspension of new data center permits triggers industry backlash, and Micron Technology pours first concrete for its $100 billion chip campus in New York State. Additionally, the National Building Museum's summer exhibition "Playground" officially opens, Tutor Perini's subsidiary Lunda announces three infrastructure projects, PCL expands its data center leadership, and Skanska forms a digital transformation team to promote AI applications.
Gilbane Building Co. and the New York Mets marked a major milestone with the topping out of the new Player Development Complex at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The $60 million facility, funded by owner Steve Cohen, is on track to open for spring training 2027.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Accelerating Labor Contracts Act on Tuesday, which would set a timeline for union-employer negotiations and introduce an arbitration mechanism. If passed by the Senate and signed into law, employers must begin negotiations within 10 days after workers vote, and if no agreement is reached within 90 days, federal mediation may be requested, with an arbitration panel stepping in after another 30 days. The construction industry has reacted in starkly divided ways: contractor groups criticize it as a 'disgrace,' while unions urge the Senate to 'get the job done.'