![]() A new and extensive study is expected to begin sometime next year looking into the possibility of relaunching a passenger rail service connecting Phoenix and Tucson. The federal Department of Transportation has announced that it is awarding Arizona a $500,000 grant to look at what it will take to get what will be an Amtrak service up and running. In a statement, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs celebrated the announcement of the grant, noting: “With this money, Arizona is working toward improving its connection to our largest cities through passenger rail, helping grow our economy, reduce pollution, and better connecting two booming communities.” The new funding out of Washington builds on some $3.5 million in state funds which have previously been committed by state leaders for the project. The 112-mile distance between Phoenix and Tucson was formerly covered by the national Sunset Limited service, which ceased operations in the summer of 1996 when the rail service was rerouted to the city of Maricopa. With the ending of that service, pushing into Phoenix’s downtown Union Station, the city closed a chapter that had begun with its first rail line in 1887. When the last train left that station on June 2 of 1996 passengers and local residents sang a tearful chorus of Auld Lang Syne. The ending of that service, which Amtrak officials said was part of a cost-cutting measure designed to save upwards of $173 million, made Phoenix the largest city in the country without direct rail service. Both state and local officials have been trying since 1996 to restore the rail service. Earlier this year, in a joint effort, the Arizona Department of Transportation and Amtrak submitted a plan for a new service to the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program in order to secure the $500,000 planning grant. In a statement upon the awarding of that grant, Kate Gallego, the Mayor of Phoenix, remarked that a restored train service between Phoenix and Tucson will “spur economic activity, help reduce congestion on the busy I-10, and ultimately kickstart private and public investments along the rail corridor.” A proposed route for the new line would also include stops in Tempe, Avondale, and Marana. By Garry Boulard
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![]() Crunch time will be coming sooner rather than later as lawmakers return to work in Washington on January 8, trying to avert a government shutdown. “We have looming deadlines, and we all agreed on that,” House Speaker Mike Johnson remarked to reporters as he referenced previous agreements to keep certain programs running until at least January 19. Those programs include military construction projects, and the operations of the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs. Beyond that, the vast majority of other government services and departments are funded only through February 2. “But what we also agreed to was what’s written in the law, and that’s the Fiscal Responsibility Act numbers on top-line,” continued the Speaker. That legislation, which passed Congress last summer and was signed into law by President Biden on June 3, saw a deal on increasing the debt-ceiling, while also capping federal spending. As part of that deal between then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the President, just under $1.60 trillion would be spent on the 2024 fiscal year budget, which began in October. Included in those negotiations was an additional $69 billion in non-defense spending. Johnson has promised to not pass another short-term extension but is expected instead to push for an extension that will cover the entirety of fiscal year 2024. Even so, Congressional observers say it’s hard to imagine how Congress will be able to effectively tackle so many thorny budget issues in such a short period of time. “Lawmakers are at a loss for how they will overcome those hurdles,” reports The Hill, noting that to date even though both the House and Senate have passed minimal appropriations bills, “little more progress on those fronts is expected before the deadlines.” By Garry Boulard ![]() In a move to ramp up condominium construction in Colorado, state lawmakers in the Centennial State may be tasked with passing new legislation specific to legal issues. Nearly a quarter of a century ago, the Colorado State Legislature gave its approval to the Colorado Construction Defect Action Reform Act, which required homeowners to let builders first know about any defects in their condos before taking legal action against them. The idea behind the legislation, strongly supported by builders, was to allow builders a chance to avert litigation by either fixing any structural issue or simply paying the owner for the problem in question. Six years later came the Homeowner Protection Act, which made it illegal for builders to insert language in contracts preventing their being sued. That was followed in 2017 by a sweeping bill requiring that homeowner associations must first secure the support of more than a majority of condo unit owners before any defect litigation could be undertaken. It was thought that that 2017 legislation would break a condo construction logjam in the state prompted by builders wary of taking on projects that could end up in court due to expensive defect litigation. Although condo construction did indeed pick up after the 2017 bill, industry leaders say it is still not where it should be, and the reason is that the incidence of litigation remains high. "The only people that seem to win are attorneys," Ted Leighty, chief executive officer of the Colorado Association of Homebuilders, recently remarked to the Colorado Sun. Now lawmakers are expected to tackle legislation designed to further encourage negotiations over defects between condo owners and builders, while also isolating liability for defects. Those efforts have won the particular support of the Homeownership Opportunity Alliance, which is partly made up of builders who say that the new legislation, if passed, will increase condo construction while also serving to reduce insurance costs. According to statistics compiled by the Greenwood Village-based Common Sense Institute, the condo construction industry in Colorado is just a shadow of what it used to be: new unit building on just the east side of the state was 76% percent lower between 2018 and last year than it was two decades ago. By Garry Boulard ![]() Around $27.3 million in new funding may soon be available for a series of building and infrastructure projects on the campuses of Eastern New Mexico University. The New Mexico Higher Education Department is recommending that state lawmakers, when they meet in January for the 2024 legislative session, approve funding for five separate and long-planned ENMU projects. The largest capital outlay request, at $12 million, is for construction of a new student academic services building at the school's main Portales campus. That funding would go for the planning, design, and building of the structure. The main campus may also see construction of the phase one work on a new $15 million Agriculture Science and Art annex building for which lawmakers are being asked to approve $5 million. Up to $5.3 million may be allotted for the $7.1 million construction of an addition to the Aircraft Maintenance Technology building on the school's Roswell campus. Another $2 million will target the construction of a health sciences center, also in Roswell. Plans to demolish one structure and build a new $6 million workforce training facility on ENMU's Ruidoso campus may also be in line for a $3 million capital outlay. The three ENMU campuses enjoy a total enrollment of more than 7,200 students. By Garry Boulard ![]() Despite lingering concerns about an ill-defined recession, the nation's construction industry may well see new growth in 2024 due primarily to projects funded via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. So concludes the authors of a comprehensive new report issued by the Deloitte accounting firm called 2024 Engineering and Construction Industry Outlook and predicting that contractors may experience increased work in the manufacturing, transportation infrastructure, and clean energy infrastructure sectors. But such projects, says the report, will come with their own complexities. Engineering and construction firms "face a multidimensional challenge on this front as they adapt to evolving market trends and environmental regulations and meet customer demands for greener buildings, while also preventing construction costs from accelerating too quickly." In so doing, the combined construction and engineering industries may well find themselves embracing such measures as the reduction of carbon in construction materials, passive design principles, and a greater utilization of energy-efficient equipment. In this arena, Washington is serving as a catalyst for new work and methods in providing nearly $2 billion in tax credits for energy improvements in insulation, lighting, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. On the matter of passive design, continues the report, builders and engineers can orient buildings to "avoid or capture solar heat," while also incorporating more green roofs, daylight response lighting controls, and "designing building envelopes for effective insulation and moisture control to stabilize indoor temperatures." The advent of what are popularly referenced as "severe weather events" are also increasingly bringing to the fore "self-healing or high-performance eco-friendly concrete, electrical steel, graphene and carbon fiber composites." Throw into the mix treated wood, low-carbon bricks, and silica fumes, contractors in 2024 are expected to increasingly be ready to take on new work in a new way of doing things. Whatever the exact methods to be implemented, contends the Deloitte report, building and engineering companies will be increasingly slated to "begin prioritizing sustainable design tactics and structural performance during the design phase." Such methods, representing a new world for some companies, may very well offer new opportunities, suggests the report, because improving efficiency and increasing delivery confidence will also lead to "lowering project expenses and risks." Founded in London in 1845, Deloitte is commonly regarded as one of the top accounting firms in the world, providing auditing, consulting, and tax advice, among other services. By Garry Boulard ![]() A more precise definition of how tall a building can be in downtown Colorado Springs may be in the offing in the wake of a proposal to build a 36-story apartment complex. That high-rise project has been presented to city officials by the O'Neil Group, a Colorado Springs-based developer, working in a partnership with the Vela development company of St. Louis, Missouri. As planned, the 36-story structure, housing nearly 500 residential units, would go up just to the east of the Olympic and Paralympic Museum, at the southeast corner of Costilla and Sahwatch streets. To be called the VeLa Peakview, the complex will be designed to include studio and one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as ground floor retail, a fitness center, and swimming pool. The project was originally proposed in 2021 as a 25-story structure with just under 320 units. New levels were added to the proposal when it was determined that a smaller building might not be financially feasible. Now opposition to the taller 36-story proposal has materialized, noting that the structure, if built, would be the tallest of its kind in Colorado Springs, with the potential for blocking views of the Pikes Peak mountain summit some 30 miles to the west. For decades the tallest structure in Colorado Springs was the 14-story Holly Sugar Building, which went up in 1966 and later became the FirstBank Building. In 1990, the city saw construction of the 16-story Wells Fargo Tower, which for the last generation has held the title of tallest building in Colorado Springs. Although the height of the proposed VeLa Peakview is not in violation of any existing zoning codes in the downtown area, opponents have suggested that there has always been a general consensus that buildings in Colorado Springs should at the least be less than 20 stories in height. In discussions before the Colorado Springs City Council, member Dave Donelson expressed the view of many residents when he remarked: "If we allow one of these high-rises, other will follow." Donelson added: "People don't want us to start looking like Denver." Despite the opposition of some residents, the VeLa Peakview has won the support of such groups as the Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority, which is viewing the project as a catalyst for additional future downtown development. Still in the planning stage, the project is expected in the months ahead to be reviewed by the local planning commission as well as the Colorado Springs City Council before a final approval is granted. By Garry Boulard ![]() The work preserving a well-known cavernous three-story brick building in downtown Pueblo has been hailed by the State of Colorado as an example of what historic preservation can produce at its best. Located at 400 S Union Avenue, the former Holmes Hardware Building was built in 1915 and for decades served as both a hardware store and warehouse. Its stock included everything from batteries to construction tools, locks, chains, roofing, and mortar mixes. In the 1920s, the store sold a contraption called the Klean Kwick Electric Washer: a copper tub with wringer, motor, and folding benches for cleaning clothes. The 33,000-square-foot structure remained a retail space until well into the late 1970s before closing its doors and remaining vacant for some four decades, to the chagrin of city officials. Then, in early 2020 two commercial brokers, Nathan Stern and Zach Cytryn, began the process of trying to secure funding to bring the Holmes building back to life. The entrepreneurs decided, after purchasing the property for $2.7 million, to repurpose the lower level of the building as a food hall with a number of different restaurants, while the upper levels would given over to workforce housing. The restoration and repurposing of the historic structure ended up costing around $16 million, with work on what has since been named the Fuel & Iron Food Hall seeing completion earlier this year. Now Colorado’s historical preservation agency, History Colorado, which is a division of the Colorado Department of Higher Education, has publicly hailed the Holmes Hardware Building renovation, bestowing upon it its Stephen H. Hart Award for Historic Preservation. The award is named in honor of Colorado’s first State Preservation Officer. In announcing the award, Governor Jared Polis said it was designed to “celebrate innovation across the state that preserves the Colorado we love, while creating new spaces for communities to come together, and that’s exactly what Fuel and Iron is.” In a press release from the History Colorado group, it was noted that recipients of the Hart award are recognized for their “innovative approaches, in-depth research, and/or use of proper techniques that honor the historic significance and craftsmanship of Colorado’s archaeological and built environment.” By Garry Boulard ![]() The McDonald’s Corporation has announced plans to build a series of restaurants in Texas and most likely eventually other states that will be less food destinations and more along the lines of a coffee shop. What is being called CosMc’s will offer a variety of such coffee products as turmeric-spiced lattes, churro frappes, and cappuccinos, in what industry analysts say is the company’s direct challenge to giant Starbucks, which currently has more than 16,000 stores in the U.S. The new CosMc’s stores, which will also feature sandwiches and a variety of desserts, will be built as only drive-up locations, with no seating space. In an interview with USA Today, Christopher Kempczinski, McDonald’s chief executive officer, said the new stores will be distinguished by featuring a “small format concept with all the DNA of McDonald’s, but its own unique personality.” The company has already opened one location in Bolingbrook, Illinois, and announced plans to soon open ten other pilot stores in the Dallas and San Antonio metro areas. Based in Chicago, McDonald’s is the largest fast food restaurant chain in the world, with around 40,000 locations globally. Founded in 1940, the company saw revenues in excess of $23 billion last year, up from $19 billion in the pandemic year of 2020. The company has said that it plans to build another 10,000 standard McDonald's locations in the U.S. and internationally by 2027. By Garry Boulard ![]() Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff may see the construction over the course of the next decade of enough new residential space to house 1,200 beds. That ambitious plan is part of the Flagstaff-based school’s new Sustainable Campus Master Plan, which has now been approved by members of the Arizona Board of Regents, and is also calling for renovations to nearly two dozen existing building on the main campus. The school, which has seen its enrollment increase from 17,100 students a decade ago to just over 28,000 today, also has plans to renovate its nearly 60-year-old Cline Library as part of the master plan’s phase one work, building a 58,000 addition to that facility in phase two. Additional plans call for building a 23,400-square-foot addition to the Native American Culture Center, which is located at 810 Knoles Drive and was built in 2011. A new 3,500-square-foot structure that will house NAU’s nursing program is also scheduled for work as part of the master plan’s phase one projects. The plan also tackles a challenge familiar to college campuses everywhere: deferred facility maintenance. Just keeping up with the repairs needed for the school’s buildings is expected to cost around $80 million between now and 2033. Renovation work on 23 buildings across the campus, meanwhile, is expected to carry a roughly $600 million price tag. “Not everything in this plan will get implemented,” Bjorn Flugstad, senior vice president for university affairs at NAU, recently remarked to the Flagstaff Business News. The fate of the many projects listed in the master plan will ultimately depend upon both private giving to NAU as well as state funding. NAU is the fourth largest institution of higher learning in Arizona, behind the private Grand Canyon University, the public Arizona State University, and the University of Arizona. By Garry Boulard ![]() The renovation of a century-old theater in downtown Clovis is expected to see completion some time in 2024, owing to an infusion of grant support. Located at 409 Main Street, the Lyceum Theater was completed in 1920 during the era of silent movies and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places for nearly two decades. Designed by the Kansas City, Missouri architectural firm of Boller Brothers, which specialized in theater design especially in the 1920s and 30s, the Lyceum has been closed for most of the last decade. Grant funding of some $500,000 from the New Mexico MainStreet program, along with another $500,000 secured the Saving America's Treasures program, which is administered by the National Park Service, have bolstered hopes that the Lyceum may be only months away from being restored. That work will include installing a new sign for the theater, as well as painting the exterior, updating interior and stage lighting, and redoing both the auditorium and stage flooring. According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, the City of Clovis has previously installed "new sound and lighting and remodeled the restrooms." In the first several decades of its existence, the Lyceum, which was acquired by the City of Clovis in 1982, was a stopping off point for Hollywood actors advertising their latest film appearances, hosting the likes of Shirley Temple, Gene Autry, and Will Rogers. The theater in 1929 aired one of the first talking movies in New Mexico with a showing of the film Chinatown Nights starring Wallace Beery. By Garry Boulard |
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