Plans have been announced for the construction of a new 12-story apartment building in one of the oldest and most popular neighborhoods adjacent to downtown Denver. The Presence Design Group, based in Denver, has submitted plans to the city for a 162-residential unit structure with floor-to-ceiling windows that is expected to cost around $95 million to complete. The project at 2420 N. Alcott Street will feature wrap-around balconies overlooking nearby Interstate 25 in a section of the neighborhood dominated by high-rise apartment structures. The demolition of a four-story office building built in 1972 will precede construction of the new apartment complex. The project will belong to McLaughlin Engineers, a long-time civil and environmental engineering firm which owns the existing 1972 structure. According to reports, work on the project is not expected to launch until the fall of 2025, with an anticipated completion date of September 2027. Rents in the Jefferson Park neighborhood have been on a steady upward trajectory for the last decade. According to the site RentCafe, the average monthly rent in the section now stands at more than $2,200. That's up from around $1,900 a year ago. By Garry Boulard
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A number of planned construction and upgrade projects for the City of Santa Fe may soon see work due via secured state capital outlay funds. Those projects include a series of gateway median upgrades, sidewalk and lighting improvements along Harrison Road, and improvements to the 90-acre Southwest Area Node Regional Park at 5300 Jaguar Drive. In a statement, Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber noted that cooperation between the city and state on which projects are deemed essential means that "we can leverage resources more efficiently and address urgent priorities that will enhance the lives of our residents and help make our wonderful city the destination it is known to be." The City also wants to build an extension of the Tierra Contenta Trail from Buffalo Grass Road to South Meadows Road. An additional project is the planned second phase work at the Santa Fe Municipal Airport, which could see the additional expansion of the facility's terminal and building of more gates. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, in commenting on the collaborative efforts between the state and city to make the project a reality, remarked that by "expediting the release of state funds, we are signaling our commitment to making Santa Fe the clean, vibrant, and accessible city our residents expect and deserve." The work at the popular Southwest Area Node Regional Park is expected to see the building of a dog park, multi-sport recreation fields, a community garden, and hiker and biker trailheads, along with a water play element. By Garry Boulard Professional and Business Services Jobs Lead January Employment Growth Figures, Says New Survey2/5/2024 More than 74,000 new jobs, typically performed in offices, were created last month, contributing to an overall national employment increase of 353,000 new workers. Those figures, just released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, show the biggest job gainer in January as the professional and business services sector, followed by impressive increases in the health care, retail trade, and social assistance sectors. The BLS survey noted that the increase in professional and business service jobs was "considerably higher than the average monthly increase of 14,000 jobs in 2023." Oher sector gainers in January: healthcare, up by 70,000 jobs; retail trade, up by 45,000; and professional, scientific, and technical services, seeing a gain of 42,000 jobs. The January numbers were particularly impressive, given that December saw an equally strong gain of 216,000 jobs. Noting that the nation's unemployment rate in January stood at 3.7%, Julie Su, the Acting Secretary of Labor, remarked: "This continues a two-year trend of jobless rates under 4%, the longest stretch in more than 50 years." Su also noted that "employment in manufacturing also rose by 23,000 jobs in January," contributing to an overall increase of 791,000 jobs in this sector since 2021. Jobs in the construction sector posted an 11,000 gain in January. Altogether, the construction industry has seen an increase of 216,000 jobs since January of 2023. In a statement, Anirban Basu, chief economist with the Associated Builders and Contractors, noted that the construction unemployment rate in January came in at 6.9%, "which is tied for the third lowest January rate on record." Basu added that "as a result of labor scarcity, construction wages surged in January, increasing at the fastest rate since July 2023." Despite the overall strong numbers, all is not rosy, as pointed out by the publication Forbes, reporting that a loss of nearly 3,000 high tech jobs contributed to a job loss of 80,000 nationally in January. By Garry Boulard Big Well Project Rejected in Colorado; New Commission Rules May Make Other Such Projects Difficult2/5/2024 A Denver-based oil exploration company will have the right to file an appeal after its proposal for the additional drilling and hydraulic fracturing of some 18 wells was rejected. The project, located near the cities of Broomfield and Erie in the north central part of the state, belongs to Extraction Oil and Gas, Incorporated. A subsidiary of the larger Civitas Resources, which also has offices in Denver, Extraction Oil and Gas had actually received preliminary approval for the project from the Energy and Carbon Management Commission in 2017. That approval was granted some two years before the Colorado State Legislature passed a bill placing restrictions on exploration projects that will be built near residential areas. Extraction Oil and Gas argued that such restrictions did not apply to what is known as its Coyote Trails multi-well plan because the original approval predated the state legislative action. But members of the ECMC disagreed, particularly asserting that a requirement that the company document that its project is safe had not been satisfied. Remarked commission member John Messner: "I don't believe the applicant met its burden in showing that what's being proposed is the protection of public health, safety, welfare, the environment and wildlife resources." The commission action comes as the body itself is facing an April deadline by state law to specifically spell out a definition of the cumulative effects of any proposed drilling project. A working draft by the commission released in late January proposes looking at the "air quality, water quality, the climate, noise, odor, wildlife and biological" impact within one mile of a drilling project. Extraction has not yet announced its plans for the Coyote Trails project in the wake of the ECMC decision. By Garry Boulard Renovation and upgrading work may begin later this spring on a building that for years has housed a popular theater in Las Cruces. Located at 1005 El Paseo Road, the Allen Theaters Video 4 building opened as a twin theater in early 1972 before later being converted into a four-cinema offering in the mid-1980s. In many ways a victim of the Covid 19 outbreak in March of 2020, the building was closed within weeks of that outbreak, and finally ceased operations for good in October of that year. Now the Boys and Girls Club of Las Cruces has announced plans to purchase the structure, moving out of the group's one-story 6,800-square-foot structure at 330 West Las Cruces Avenue that it has occupied since 1965. The former movie house will provide the club with 30,000 square feet of space. Club officials have said that a renovation of the structure will include the building of a modern science, a technology, engineering, and mathematics lab, as well as art facilities, a gymnasium, and separate wing for teen members. The club used nearly $1.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding earlier to purchase the theater. The original asking price of $1.5 million for the structure was lowered by the Allen family, long-time owners of the theater and supporters of the Boys and Girls Club. By Garry Boulard A bill designed to expand a federal low-income housing tax credit has now been sent to the U.S. Senate after winning unusual bi-partisan approval in the House of Representatives. The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024, securing passage by a big 357 to 70 vote, will also increase the use of private activity bonds as a tool for financing affordable housing. Supporters of the legislation have said that it may help to spur the building of up to 200,000 new affordable homes in the next several years. In remarks to reporters after the vote, Missouri Republican Congressman Jason Smith, co-author of the $78 billion legislation, said of the wide approval margin: “The numbers speak for themselves, it shows that when you’re trying to deliver for the American people, people will join together, and that’s what we saw today.” The legislation also puts back in place a 12.5% cap on a credit device that had been available from 2018 to 2021. Strongly endorsed by such groups as the National Association of Home Builders, the legislation contains the additional feature of allowing businesses to claim a 100% bonus depreciation for investments in machines, equipment, and vehicles for the tax years between 2023 and 2025. New York Democrat Senator and Majority Leader Charles Schumer has earlier expressed support of the bill, which must secure at least 60 votes in the upper chamber in order to prevent its being filibustered. A schedule for when the legislation may be voted upon has not yet been announced. By Garry Boulard If Bond is Formalized and Put on Ballot, El Paso's Ascarate Park May See Sweeping Improvements2/2/2024 The largest public recreational park in El Paso County may be in line for up to $72 million in improvements if county voters this coming November give their approval to a large new bond proposal. Located at 6900 Delta Drive, the 400-acre Ascarate Park, which was opened in the 1940s, is particularly known for its 18-hole golf course, aquatic center, and both playgrounds and picnic facilities. But now, proposed projects for the park could see the building of an amphitheater, splash pad, and walking loop trail, among other improvements. Funding for the Ascarate Park work would come out of a possible $350 million bond that El Paso County Commissioners are thinking about putting together for the November ballot, a bond that could pay for many dozens of other public infrastructure projects. Among additional projects being considered: water and wastewater system improvements that could cost $96 million; the $54 million renovation of the historic El Paso County Coliseum at 4100 E. Paisano Drive; and $46 million in improvements to the county's Juvenile Justice Center at 6400 Delta Drive. Altogether, commissioners have been looking at a list of some 100 projects that might be funded by the $350 million bond, although reports indicate that the list may be pared down in the near future. In deciding on the project list, but ultimately whether to call for a bond election, commissioners are confronting the choice of either asking county voters to approve a new level of indebtedness, or delaying projects that could cost more in the future as the price of construction materials and labor continues to accelerate. By Garry Boulard Plans have been approved in Goodyear for the building of a new convenience store that happens to be a part of a popular Texas chain. The Goodyear City Council has given a thumbs-up to the construction of a Buc-ee’s store, which will go up just off Interstate 10 and Bullard Avenue. As proposed, the store will measure some 74,500 square feet and will also include some 120 fueling pumps. Based in Lake Jackson, Texas, Buc-ee’s has more than forty stores in the Lone Star State, as well as a growing number of locations throughout the South. Founded in 1982, the company’s facilities are notable for their extensive size, and include gift stores and a variety of restaurant offerings. The average size of a Buc-ee’s location ranges anywhere from 52,000 to more than 80,000 square feet. The planned Goodyear location comes on the heels of the company’s recent planned expansion into such states as Colorado, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Construction began late last year on the company’s first store in Johnstown, Colorado, which will measure 74,000 square feet and offer 116 fueling pumps. That location is expected to open later this spring. Although an exact schedule for when work may begin on the Buc-ee’s in Goodyear, the Mayor of that city, Joe Pizzillo, has released a statement saying that the company’s decision to build in the city represents “more than just a gas station or a convenience store.” “Buc-ee’s could provide our residents with what they’ve been asking for, which are more options, and that’s what they’ll get as our city continues to grow," Pizzillo exclaimed. The store’s engaging icon, Bucky the Beaver, is named in honor of the company’s founder, Arch Aplin, whose middle nickname was “Beaver.” By Garry Boulard Even as the number of people working in the nation’s construction industry has been on a non-stop increase since the first devastating months of the Covid 19 outbreak, the number of workers needed to keep pace with upcoming project demands is sorely lacking. So reveals an extensive new study put together by the Washington-based Associated Builders and Contractors showing that the industry for 2024 needs at least 501,000 additional workers, and that’s not even counting the additional 454,000 required in 2025 to “keep on top of normal hiring to meet industry demand.” The study documents that with the exception of the pandemic’s appearance in the spring of 2020, construction employment has been on a consistent upward climb since 2011, during the depths of the Great Recession. The study also reveals numbers that are coming and going: “An estimated 1.9 million construction workers will leave their jobs to work in other industries in 2024,” says an ABC press release. But this figure “should be offset by an anticipated 2.1 million workers who will leave other industries to work in construction.” The study shows how closely construction employment and construction spending play out, with the trends for both showing a general increase over the last 23 years. But even with nearly 8 million people employed in construction as of late last year, the ongoing shortage portends trouble, remarks Michael Bellaman in a statement. Not addressing the need for more workers, he said, “will slow improvements to our shared built environment, worker productivity, living standards, and the places where we heal, learn, play, work, and gather.” Additional employment challenges confronting the industry: with interest rates expected to decline this year, more financing will be available for more projects, thus underlining the need for additional workers. But even more, noted Anirban Basu, ABC chief economist, “More than one in five construction workers are 55 or older, meaning that retirement will continue to contract the industry’s workforce.” “These are the most experienced workers, and their departures are especially concerning,” Basu added. Bellaman remarked that in an attempt to address the ongoing construction worker shortage, ABC has to date established a network or more than eight hundred apprenticeship, craft, health and safety and management education programs, along with 450 plus government-registered apprenticeship programs. By Garry Boulard More transparency is needed as part of the process for pre-qualifying contractors for major city projects in Denver, says a just-released audit. In a statement released by the City of Denver, Timothy O' Brien called for a "balance between transparency for contractors, accountability, and a workable process that encourages the best companies to work with the city." O'Brien, the City's Auditor, remarked that when it comes to projects worth millions of dollars, the process for contractor pre-qualification has become both too subjective and opaque. In order to bid for a city project with a dollar worth of more than $1 million, contractors in Denver are required to submit information regarding their staff and resource capability, safety scores, and both bonding and financial capabilities. The city's Prequalification Board then assess all of those factors, which also include whether or not the company has ever been prohibited in the past from contracting with the city, or been late on a contractual obligation with the city. Based upon the decision of the Prequalification Board, contractors are assigned a financial level for projects they can bid to work on. While O'Brien said a review of that process produced "no evidence of improper decision-making, such as a board member potentially manipulating the outcome of a recommendation, we can have no certainty that this has not occurred because the Prequalification Board does not transparently document how it arrives at its recommendations." O'Brien recommended that the city adopt a more complete and thorough documentation of the decision-making process, one that can be viewed by the public. By so doing, contractors will have a better understanding of how and why certain decisions are made. Such understanding, said the city's press release, will make it more likely that contractors can submit improved pre-qualification applications, "which can potentially increase competition and grow the city's pool of qualified applicants." By Garry Boulard |
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