The former owner of a suburban construction business convicted of acting as an illegal front so another company could secure a lucrative city airport contract was sentenced Thursday to 12 months in federal prison. Read the full article >>>
Federal and State Transportation Programs Favoring DBEs Found Constitutional
Introduction In 1983, in recognition of the historical impact of discrimination on the ability of racial and minority-owned businesses to contract with the government, the federal government passed a federal disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) programme which has been reauthorised as recently as 2015 in Section 1101(b) of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, Pub L 114-94. The purpose of the …
Apartment Building Developers Face Shortage of Construction Workers
Apartment building developers have a lot to worry about. So many new developments are under construction, they are likely to compete with each other and not just for residents. Developers are also competing to find construction workers to build their projects. “A very tight construction labor market is going to get even worse,” says Bill McDonald, president and chief investment …
Contractor Building Austin’s Fairmont Hotel Files $27 Million Lawsuit
The general contractor building what will soon be Austin’s largest hotel has filed a lawsuit seeking at least $27 million in damages against a subcontractor that allegedly caused the project to fall behind schedule. Read the full article>>>
Federal Court in Oklahoma Rules Bond Issued on Sovereign Tribal Construction Project is not a Miller Act Bond
In May 2014 the Cherokee Nation issued a bid notice for bridge and roadway construction in Mayes County, Oklahoma (the “Project”). Funding was authorized pursuant to the Secretary of Transportation and Secretary of the Interior’s Tribal Transportation Program, 23 U.S.C. – 202, by which federal funding is offered to Native American tribal governments to pay the costs of certain transportation …
This Month in Corruption: Contractors Fined for False Billing on Assembly Sq. T
Two contractors involved in building the Assembly Square T station knowingly submitted inflated payment estimates for materials and will pay large fines and penalties to resolve the case, according to the Office of Attorney General Maura Healey. Read the full article >>>
VA Taps P3 Project Structure for $460M Highway
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced Tuesday that the state will use a $460 million public-private partnership to add more high-occupancy toll lanes to the Alexandria-to-DC portion of Interstate 395, according to WAMU. Read the full article >>>
Rally Over Pay Held at City Hall – Subs on Texas City Project Demand Payment, but Can’t Find Surety
A small group of subcontractors protested Saturday morning outside City Hall, demanding that the City of Brownsville pay them for work they have completed. They entered into a project with the city in April 2015 on the Southmost Hike and Bike Trail, and despite repeated promises that they would be paid, nothing has come of it, said Jorge Contla, the …
How Trump Has Impacted the Construction Industry So Far
It’s been less than two weeks since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, but he has fulfilled his campaign promises of shaking up the political world. The ink is not yet dry on several of his executive orders and other memoranda that have turned immigration, national security and infrastructure into coast-to-coast topics of conversation and fiery debate. The construction industry-related directives that …
17 Construction Apps for 2017
The construction industry is becoming more mobile, and with that comes the need for a growing app industry. A survey by construction apps advisory firm Software Advice recently found that 50 percent of construction companies are still using manual methods to calculate takeoff, prepare bids and manage projects. For the other half we’ve compiled our fifth annual best construction apps …