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Bamboo Equity Plans $80M Investment in 39 North

3 months 2 weeks 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

3 months 2 weeks 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

3 months 2 weeks 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

3 months 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

Ryan Freeman Named CEO at PayneCrest Electric

3 months 3 weeks 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

3 months 3 weeks 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

3 months 3 weeks 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

3 months 3 weeks 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

3 months 3 weeks 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

3 months 3 weeks 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

3 months 3 weeks 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

3 months 3 weeks 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

3 months 3 weeks 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

STL Art Place Initiative – Transforming Vacant Places into Creative Spaces

3 months 3 weeks ago

by Michelle Kim, Washington University Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement 2025 St. Louis Fellow In Gravois Park, an innovative partnership is reshaping what community development looks like – one home at a time. STL Art Place Initiative (STL API), working with the Community Development Administration (CDA), is leading a movement to convert vacant […]

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Dede Hance

Logistics and Manufacturing Drive the St. Louis Region’s Economy

3 months 3 weeks ago

by Mary Lamie The importance of the logistics and manufacturing sectors as key drivers of the St. Louis region’s economy was front and center during FreightWeekSTL, a weeklong conference hosted in early June by the St. Louis Regional Freightway, a Bi-State Development enterprise. With a $209 billion gross domestic product (GDP)—placing it in the top […]

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Tom Finan

Worker Wellness Blog: Pope Leo’s View of Workers and AI Copy

3 months 3 weeks ago

by Dr. John Gaal Editor’s Note: Each week, Dr. John Gaal, director of worker wellness for the Missouri Works Initiative, a non-profit workforce formed by the Missouri AFL-CIO, collects and comments on news and trends in workforce wellness and life balance. Construction Forum carries the Worker Wellness & Well-Being Blog as a regular feature. The […]

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Dede Hance

Rebuilding Metro East: Interstate Projects Highlight Another Historic Construction Season

3 months 3 weeks ago

From RiverBender: As part of one of its busiest construction seasons ever, the Illinois Department of Transportation is delivering several major projects in the Metro East, fueled by Gov. JB Pritzker’s historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program. Eighteen major projects combined represent a total investment of nearly $895 million, improving safety and mobility while sustaining […]

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Dede Hance

McBride Homes, Builder’s Bloc Reach Settlement Over Deed Claims

3 months 3 weeks ago

From St. Louis Post-Dispatch: A Chesterfield contractor has agreed to drop its lawsuits against McBride Homes in which the homebuilder was accused of filing fraudulent deed records across the region. Builder’s Bloc and McBride Homes said in a joint statement Tuesday that they had reached a settlement that resolved “all outstanding matters” between the two […]

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Dede Hance

Electrical Connection Completes Donated Services for St. Jude Dream Home

3 months 3 weeks ago

On Aug. 14, 2025, some lucky individual will win a St. Charles County luxury home built to benefit children served by the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. The home in Dardenne Prairie carries an estimate value of $650,000 and is being built with the help of services and materials donated by the IBEW/NECA Electrical Connection. […]

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Dede Hance

Trivers Celebrates 50 Years of Design Excellence and Community Impact

3 months 3 weeks ago

St. Louis-based architecture, planning, urban design and interiors firm Trivers iscommemorating its 50th anniversary. Defined by its dedication to bold ideas and collaborative leadership, the firm’s work spans adaptive reuse, historic preservation and innovative new designs—all rooted in the belief that architecture has the power to inspire change. Andrew Trivers, FAIA founded the firm in […]

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Dede Hance