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Lux Living’s Soho Apartment Hits Market Amid Federal Charges

1 week 4 days ago

From St. Louis Business Journal: A Soulard apartment complex at the center of criminal charges against developer Lux Living has been listed for sale. SoHo, 1515 S. Seventh St. in Soulard, has recently been put on the market. Marketing materials for the five-story, 322-unit SoHo don’t include an asking price. The Soulard complex was developed […]

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Tom Finan

Hidden Gems: Meet D’Von Johnson of D. Johnson Painting

1 week 4 days ago

From Voyage STL: Today we’d like to introduce you to D’Von Johnson. Hi D’Von, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story. I started from ground zero — no capital, no roadmap, just ambition and the belief that I could build something better than what I came from. I […]

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Tom Finan

Ahrens Named Chair of Wash U. Graduate Architecture

1 week 4 days ago

From Wash U. Sam Fox School: Associate Professor Chandler Ahrens has been named chair of graduate architecture in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, effective July 1, 2025. “I am delighted to have Chandler step into this role,” Aki Ishida, director of the Graduate School of […]

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Tom Finan

Home Sales Slide As More Markets Lose Momentum

1 week 4 days ago

From Zonda: We’ve moved from a market where consumers have few housing options, to one where many are spoiled for choice. On the resale front, supply has notably increased. Today, 60% of the top markets boast more inventory than they did in 2019. The rental market, particularly in Sunbelt areas, has also seen a surge […]

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Tom Finan

From Trash to Treasure: The New Circular Construction Materials Economy

1 week 5 days ago

From Offsite Innovators: Imagine walking by a demolition site and instead of seeing mountains of concrete rubble and twisted rebar destined for a landfill, you see workers delicately removing windows, carefully unbolting steel beams, and labeling wooden panels for future use. It sounds like a scene from a utopian future, but it’s happening today—and it’s […]

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Tom Finan

MO AG Tries to Block Clean-Energy Power Line

1 week 5 days ago

From New York Times: An 804-mile-long transmission line in the Midwest appeared to be finally ready for construction after more than a decade of delays. Known as Grain Belt Express, the $11 billion line would carry electricity produced by wind farms in Kansas across Missouri and Illinois all the way to Indiana, making it the […]

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Tom Finan

Bamboo Equity Plans $80M Investment in 39 North

1 week 5 days ago

From St. Louis Business Journal: A St. Louis-based commercial real estate firm is going all in on one of the area’s innovation districts, with plans for up to $80 million in development. Bamboo Equity Partners, a commercial real estate investment firm based in Maryland Heights, has closed on the purchase of an office building in […]

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Tom Finan

AGC Says Jobs Rose 15K in June, As Firms Tried to Retain Workers Amid Market Uncertainty

1 week 5 days ago

From Associated General Contractors: Nonresidential Sector Continues Steady Employment Gains Even as Residential and Heavy Civil Construction Falls; As the Construction Unemployment Rate Falls to Near Historic Low of 3.4 Percent Construction sector employment increased by 15,000 positions in June as rising wages enabled the industry to add workers more rapidly than other sectors, according […]

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Tom Finan

Despite Conventional Wisdom, St. Louis Still a Fortune 500 City

1 week 5 days ago

by Joe Schlafly From St. Louis Magazine: It is bizarre that St. Louis, founded in 1764 by a group of intrepid French pioneers on the banks of the Mississippi, would engage in  constant civic self-flagellation. In other words, what is the source of  the often heard sentiment: “St. Louisans are their own worst  enemies”?  I […]

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Tom Finan

Safety Council Offers Program on Real-Time Drug Impairment Testing

2 weeks ago

The Safety Council of Greater St. Louis is offering a presentation July 17th of real-time drug impairment testing technology from the firm Gaize, Inc.  Missoula, Montana-based Gaize has developed a technology which utilizes virtual-reality goggles equipped with eye-tracking sensors. Gaize was developed as an automated and portable version of the more involved eye tests that […]

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Tom Finan

Ways to Help With Tornado Recovery

2 weeks 4 days ago

People and companies from across the construction industry have been stepping up with donations of both materials and effort to assist in the early stages of recovery from the May 16th tornado. Here are some ways in which you can connect if you want to help. St. Louis City Resources Response and recovery resources for […]

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Tom Finan

Ryan Freeman Named CEO at PayneCrest Electric

2 weeks 4 days ago

by Tom Finan, Executive Director/Co-Founder, Construction Forum Six years and one month after coming to PayneCrest Electric and Communications Ryan Freeman has been named CEO of the electrical contractor. When he joined PayneCrest in May of 2019 Freeman had 18 years of experience in construction management and executive leadership, serving as a senior vice president […]

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Rachel Finan

Jim Fowler, JF Electric Founder, Dies at 88

2 weeks 4 days ago

JF Electric Founder James Charles (Jim) Fowler, 88, died June 25th at his home Edwardsville, IL with his wife Lisa by his side. He was born September 20, 1936, in St. Louis, the son of the late Charles and Moneta Fowler. Jim Fowler graduated from Centralia (IL) High School, he started working at age 17 […]

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Rachel Finan

Redevelopment of Mark Twain Hotel Falls Through: Building on Market

2 weeks 4 days ago

From St. Louis Business Journal: A century-old St. Louis building, now a boarding house, faces an uncertain future as its owners list the property for sale amid legal challenges and stalled renovation efforts. The for-sale listing comes as the proposed hotel project hasn’t advanced, with a state-court judge recently approving a judgment against the property’s […]

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Rachel Finan

Blackline Design Breaks Ground on Crop Research Facility

2 weeks 4 days ago

Marking a major development in St. Louis’ AgTech landscape, a collaborative St. Louis-based team recently broke ground on the EpiCrop Research Facility, the firm announced in a release from PRN Newswire. The 18,000-square-foot space will be home to EpiCrop Technologies, a division of EpiMethyl Analytics company, which uses cutting-edge strategies to increase plant yields by reprogramming the gene […]

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Tom Finan

Clayco Program to Reduce Employee Student Debt Spreads to Major Corporations

2 weeks 4 days ago

Editor’s note: When a young architect approached Clayco’s CEO Bob Clark a year ago about the crippling impact of student debt on productivity, it catalyzed a program at the company, outlined in this blog. Here’s another link to an article from US News & World Report about the impact that Clayco’s program and others like […]

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Rachel Finan

Ameren Plans Gas/Battery Hybrid Plant for Jefferson County

2 weeks 4 days ago

Ameren Missouri, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE), is taking the next step in its generation investment plan to enhance energy reliability for customers by filing an application with the Missouri Public Service Commission that includes a first-of-its-kind project for the company. The application involves the construction of an 800-megawatt (MW) simple-cycle natural gas […]

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Rachel Finan

Home Builders Association Donates $20,000 to Promise Community Homes

2 weeks 4 days ago

On behalf of the Home Builders Charitable Foundation (HBCF), 2025 HBA President Jason Hughes (T.R. Hughes Homes, at center) presented a $20,000 donation to Promise Community Homes executive director Matt Elmore and director of development Gabrielle Grundy-Lester. The donation will go toward a new roof, gutters, soffits, fascia and flooring in two of the organization’s […]

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Tom Finan

Liebman Named Marketing Principal for HOK; McDonald Transitions to Consulting

2 weeks 4 days ago

HOK has promoted Brad Liebman to marketing principal in its St. Louis studio. Liebman succeeds Margaret McDonald, who will transition to a consulting role, advising on strategic initiatives and supporting the studio’s leadership team during the transition. A design leader and trusted collaborator with more than 25 years of experience, Liebman is recognized for his […]

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Tom Finan

Designing Neuroinclusive Workplaces

2 weeks 4 days ago

From HOK: Today’s organizations struggle with talent shortages, high employee turnover and constant pressure to innovate. One solution addresses all three: neuroinclusive design. The sensory overload many experience in a typical office is more than just an annoyance for neurodivergent employees—it can be debilitating. It’s estimated that about one in five people today are neurodivergent, […]

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Tom Finan