AI-curated news for your industry

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.

Meta announced on Monday that it will invest over $50 billion in its data center and surrounding areas in Richland Parish, Louisiana, a move seen as one of the largest investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure. After expansion, the facility will cover nearly 10 million square feet in total area with an IT capacity of 5 gigawatts, making it Meta's largest data center worldwide. Construction began in December 2024, undertaken by Turner Construction, DPR Construction, and Mortenson, and an energy agreement has been reached with Entergy Louisiana.

Regarding the structural column failure in the office-to-apartment conversion project at East 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York, Norma Jean Mattei, former president of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and professor emerita at the University of New Orleans, noted in an interview with Construction Dive that retrofitting old buildings for residential use involves inherent risks, and the project type is 'very likely' one of the contributing factors to the failure. She also compared the incident to the 2019 Hard Rock Hotel collapse in New Orleans and shared her views on potential regulatory changes.

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order suspending environmental permits for hyperscale data centers, making the state the first in the nation to implement such a moratorium. Construction industry organizations have strongly opposed this move, arguing that it will harm the economy and weaken competitiveness.

The U.S. $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is set to expire on September 30, and Congress must pass a new transportation authorization bill before then. Construction industry executives and economists say the act is crucial for public infrastructure projects, and if it is not renewed in time, projects may be delayed and jobs are at risk. Polls show 78% of voters support the new bill, but legislative time is tight.

The Gateway Development Commission approved an $88 million change order, commissioning contractor Weeks Marine to remove approximately 500 underwater timber piles in the Hudson Tunnel Project and reinforce the riverbed. The work is expected to be completed before tunnel boring begins in 2028.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge is scheduled to open on July 27, about six weeks behind the original plan. The U.S. and Canada have reached an agreement on toll governance and revenue distribution. The bridge will enhance cross-border freight efficiency, expected to save truck drivers about 850,000 hours annually.

Micron Technology announced on July 9 that it has poured the first concrete at its $100 billion semiconductor campus in Clay, New York, with contractors Gilbane, Jacobs, and Bechtel involved, and progress over 25% ahead of schedule. Approximately $675 million in contracts have been awarded to local New York businesses so far.

Deere & Co. has reached a settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and five states over a joint lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged that Deere illegally restricted farmers and independent repair providers from repairing its agricultural equipment. Under the settlement, Deere agreed to provide farmers and independent repair shops with the same repair resources, including software, as authorized dealers over a 10-year period. The FTC stated it will oversee enforcement to reduce repair costs for farmers and promote the right to repair.

A joint survey by AlignOps and Construction Dive found that 97% of construction companies lack real-time asset visibility, even after investing in technology. Most leaders overestimate their data-driven decision-making capabilities and actually rely on intuition. Fragmented systems and a lack of workflows lead to idle equipment, duplicate purchases, and lost tools, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Experts recommend using unified platforms and simple processes to validate intuition with data and shift from a reactive to a proactive stance.