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How Residential Contracting Became a Race to Bottom

1 month 4 weeks ago
From The New York Times:  Ben Whelan is not the kind of carpenter to wax poetic about the joys of framing a wall or redoing a roof. Like a lot of men he knows, he started working in residential construction as a teenager because it was a reliable way to earn money. But he has […]
Rachel Finan

Developer Invests $60M in CWE, Soulard Affordable Housing

1 month 4 weeks ago
From St. Louis Business Journals:  An affordable housing developer has plans to renovate two apartment properties in the city of St. Louis, projects estimated to cost a combined $60 million. Manhattan Beach, California-based SDG Housing Partners LLC expects to soon begin renovations on the 100-unit Allen Market Lane Apartments, 1201 Allen Market Lane in Soulard, […]
Rachel Finan

New Downtown Residents Often Come From Outside State

1 month 4 weeks ago
From St. Louis Business Journal:  There’s been a question on Alex Oliver’s mind as his real estate firm has grown occupancy at its apartments along Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis: “Where is everybody coming from?” “I was kind of curious by the data,” Oliver said. Conversations between Oliver and the leasing staff at his […]
Rachel Finan

Tarlton Expands Construction Finance Team

1 month 4 weeks ago
Tarlton, St. Louis’ largest women-owned general contracting and construction management firm, expands its construction finance team through the promotion of Holly Kinney to director of corporate finance, with Daccota Lenny serving as assistant controller. Kinney joined Tarlton in 2018 as an assistant controller and most recently served as controller. In her new role, Kinney is […]
Dede Hance

Charity Lending Med Equipment for Kids With Disabilities Seeks Donation of Storage Space

1 month 4 weeks ago
A St. Louis charity which helps children with disabilities by inventorying equipment needed for their care is seeking a real estate partner to provide storage space that would aid in warehousing and distributing that equipment. “What we need is 8,000 to 10,000 square feet of ADA-compliant and carpeted storage space, centrally located, to store our […]
Tom Finan

Development Issues Dominate St. Charles County Election Races

2 months ago
From St. Louis Post-Dispatch:  Four cities grappling with growth concerns in St. Charles County have new mayors. Voters in Lake Saint Louis, Dardenne Prairie and Foristell picked new leaders for their cities after the current mayors opted to not run for reelection. Voters in Cottleville backed Stephen Thompson, a challenger with an aggressive anti-development agenda, […]
Tom Finan

The Present and Possibilities of BIM and Virtual Design and Construction

2 months ago
by Cade Long, Assistant Preconstruction Engineer, Brinkmann Constructors  Building Information Modeling (BIM) has transformed the construction industry by creating intelligent digital representations of buildings. Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) builds upon BIM by integrating these models with scheduling, cost estimation and project coordination to optimize design, engineering and operational workflows. Together, these technologies create a […]
Tom Finan

KWK Architects Designs Storm-Reinforced Structures to Protect University Residence Halls

2 months ago
In areas of the country where dangerous tornadoes and severe weather occur more frequently, more universities are incorporating reinforced rooms, or storm shelters, in their residence hall designs to provide an extra layer of protection for students. These tornado-safe rooms are typically small, above- or below-ground structures made of concrete, masonry or steel that are […]
Tom Finan

Fall Prevention or Fall Protection? 5 Things to Consider

2 months ago
From American Society of Safety Professionals:  Working at height is a known safety hazard. When determining the best way to protect a worker from the hazards of working at height, it’s important to consider fall prevention before fall protection. Fall prevention is especially critical in situations where fall arrest systems or other forms of PPE […]
Dede Hance

S. M. Wilson & Co.’s SKILLED® Construction Career Program Honors the SKILLED Award Winners

2 months ago
S. M. Wilson & Co.’s SKILLED® construction career program awarded $1,000 prizes to high schoolers on Monday, April 7th at the 4th annual SKILLED Awards ceremony held at S. M. Wilson’s Hampton Ave. headquarters in St. Louis. S. M. Wilson’s Construction Career Education program SKILLED provides hands-on opportunities to integrate academic learning and focus on […]
Dede Hance

Amazon to Occupy 1M-SF Metro East Warehouse Under Construction by Contegra

2 months ago
From St. Louis Business Journal:  The nearly 1 million-square-foot warehouse currently under construction in the Metro East will be occupied by Amazon, which has purchased the property, a company spokesman said. Gateway TradePort VI, a 933,656-square-foot warehouse, is currently under construction as the fifth warehouse at the Gateway TradePort industrial park in Pontoon Beach, Illinois. […]
Tom Finan

Industry Organizations Collaborate on Developing Modular Construction Standards

2 months ago
The International Code Council and the Center for Offsite Construction (CfOC) at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) announced their collaboration to develop critical standards for modular construction through the creation of the “CFOC/ICC 1220 Standard on Configurations and Connections for Off-Site Construction.” This effort aims to enhance quality, sustainability, resilience and affordability in […]
Tom Finan

Economists Weigh in on Recession Fears

2 months ago
From Construction Business Owner:  President Donald Trump’s sharp tariff hikes last week have sent the stock market into a tailspin, raised alarm bells among Wall Street executives and heightened many economists’ worries that the U.S. could tip into recession. The tariffs, set to take effect Wednesday, include a 10% blanket duty on nearly all countries […]
Dede Hance

Interstate Construction Work to Cause Closures This Weekend

2 months ago
From St. Louis Post-Dispatch:  Interstate 55 will close overnight Friday, and construction work will cause changes to lanes on Route 141 next week. Construction crews will close northbound I-55 at Carondelet/River City Boulevard (Exit 202A) at 8 p.m. Friday. Two northbound lanes will reopen by 9 a.m. Saturday. The closure, which is weather permitting, will […]
Dede Hance

America’s Aging Water Infrastructure Faces New Threats

2 months ago
From Construction Dive:  Despite a recent infusion of federal dollars, the health of the country’s aging water infrastructure has plateaued amid burgeoning environmental stressors and new cleanup demands, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2025 Infrastructure Report Card released last week. Drinking water infrastructure notched a “C-” while wastewater got a “D+” and […]
Dede Hance

Liz DeBold Austin Joins CannonDesign as VP of Business Development for Central Region

2 months ago
Liz DeBold Austin recently joined CannonDesign as vice president of business development. She will lead efforts in the St. Louis office across commercial, higher education, and healthcare markets. With a focus on living-centered design, CannonDesign delivers innovative solutions that support communities through architecture, engineering, interior design, and facility optimization. “We are beyond excited to have […]
Tom Finan

PPE and the Hierarchy of Controls

2 months ago
From American Society of Safety Professionals:  When using the hierarchy of controls, any safety professional would prefer to select solutions from the top by eliminating a hazard completely than the bottom, which requires employees to avoid a hazard through personal protective equipment (PPE). “However, it seems that some practitioners have turned the hierarchy of controls […]
Dede Hance