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by Dave Drebes – Publisher of the Missouri Scout, a private news service covering state politics Editor’s Note: This op-ed originally appeared in the St. Louis Business-Journal. It is reprinted here, in its entirety, with permission from SLBJ. It’s been just about six months since Cara Spencer was sworn in as mayor. And while it’s still […]

The post PERSPECTIVE: Six Months in, Cara Spencer’s Pragmatism Sets Tone at City Hall appeared first on Construction Forum.

From S.M. Wilson: Construction has the highest rate of overdoses and the second-highest rate of suicides among all U.S. industries, according to the September 2024 Data Bulletin from The Center for Construction Research and Training. Long hours, physical exhaustion, financial pressures and a culture of toughness all contribute to this hidden crisis. These sobering statistics underscore the […]

The post Breaking the Stigma: Addressing Mental Health in the Construction Industry appeared first on Construction Forum.

From Virginia Tech: To fast-track the buildout of data centers that power artificial intelligence (AI), tech giants like Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, and OpenAI are pouring money into construction projects. Globally, companies are predicted to spend $375 billion in 2025 on AI infrastructure — a 67 percent surge from last year, according to an […]

The post The Data Center Boom is Here: Experts Explain How to Build AI Infrastructure Right appeared first on Construction Forum.

From St. Louis Business Journal: In many ways, Josh Gaghen, vice president and business unit leader for Des Peres-based McCarthy Building Cos., seemed destined to eventually become the project manager for the newly opened $1.7 billion Western headquarters campus of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Before overseeing the finish of construction of Next NGA West, one […]

The post Josh Gaghen Goes From Air Force Engineer to NGA Project Leader appeared first on Construction Forum.

These days some older church facilities are sliding by on the power of prayer when it comes to their mechanical systems. Systems contractor Integrated Facility Services (IFS) has found that asking church leaders what success looks like, and then presenting innovative technology, can pay big dividends. A legacy HVAC system that continues to provide a […]

The post IFS Helps Church Update and Improve Legacy HVAC System; Saves Energy and Money appeared first on Construction Forum.

St. Louis–based design firm Arcturis announced Oct. 6 the acquisition of Square Feet Studio, an Atlanta architecture, interiors, and urban placemaking practice. With Square Feet operating under the co-brand Arcturis | Square Feet Studio, the merger unites two award-winning firms known for human-centered, detail-driven design. The move expands Arcturis’ nearly 50-year national practice—licensed in 48 […]

The post Arcturis Acquires Atlanta-Based Design Practice appeared first on Construction Forum.

From St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune: The St. Louis Board of Aldermen last week passed a resolution that calls for increased scrutiny on new data center projects in the city, a move that area Labor leaders weighed in on earlier in the week, urging that the city to move carefully so as not to send […]

The post Unions Speak in Favor of Building Data Centers Here as STL Aldermen Approve Regulations appeared first on Construction Forum.

From Mid Rivers Newsmagazine: Fischer & Frichtel is preparing to build 99 new homes at The Villages at Post Farms, a 104-acre, master-planned community. It is located in the acclaimed Wentzville School District off Hwy. N, near Duello and Hopewell roads in O’Fallon, within St. Charles County. Contracts will be accepted beginning Oct. 11. Amenities […]

The post The Villages at Post Farms Will Bring 99 New Homes to O’Fallon, MO appeared first on Construction Forum.

From Construction Dive: The Department of Energy terminated 321 financial awards worth about $7.56 billion after a review determined the projects failed to meet economic or national energy standards, according to an Oct. 2 release. The DOE said the decision, which affects 223 projects, followed a case-by-case review of awards issued under clean energy and […]

The post DOE Cancels $7.56B in Energy Projects, Largely in Blue States appeared first on Construction Forum.

Anyone who doubts the isolation and pressure women face in the trades needed only to read the room at last Friday’s (Oct. 3) seventh annual Missouri Women in Trades (MOWIT) Blue Collar/Black Tie Gala at the LiUNA Event Center. When the 187 attendees were asked if they’d ever felt fear as the only woman on […]

The post VIDEO: Sisterhood Shows Its Power at MOWIT Blue Collar/Black Tie Gala appeared first on Construction Forum.

From St. Louis Business Journal: St. Louis Lambert International Airport on Monday will break ground on a new airfield maintenance and snow removal equipment facility. The $114.9 million project is a precursor to a $3 billion revamp of the airport into a single, new terminal. Constructed by Wright Construction Services, the facility is being funded […]

The post Lambert Airport Breaking Ground on $115M Airfield Facility, Paving Way for Terminal Overhaul appeared first on Construction Forum.

From Construction Dive: The U.S. Department of Transportation has removed sex and race as criteria for automatic certification in its Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program, according to an interim final rule announced Sept. 30 that went into effect on Oct. 3. “A determination that an individual is socially and economically disadvantaged must not be based in […]

The post DOT Guts DBE Program Ahead of Construction Inclusion Week appeared first on Construction Forum.

From St. Louis Public Radio: Urban explorers love vacant hospitals. Stephanie Botkin should know — she lives across from one, the former St. Alexius Hospital on Jefferson Avenue. “They’re totally attracted to it,” Botkin said. “Because you’ve got the morgue, and how scary is that? You’ve got the old operating rooms with all the equipment […]

The post Neighbors Want a Vacant Hospital Cleaned Up. Could a Buyer Come Through? appeared first on Construction Forum.

From St. Louis Magazine: When a storm tears through a historic neighborhood, the damage it causes isn’t just to shingles and siding—it’s often to the delicate craftsmanship that defines a street’s character. In St. Louis, many century-old homes are topped with distinctive slate or terracotta Spanish roof tiles, materials chosen as much for beauty and […]

The post Ask Veronica: Why is it so Challenging to Source Historic Roof Tiles? appeared first on Construction Forum.

From St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Airport officials are asking contractors in its minority and disadvantaged business programs to provide evidence of discrimination they have suffered, in the latest change born of the Trump administration’s opposition to diversity initiatives. St. Louis Lambert International Airport is reevaluating all the companies it certified through the federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise […]

The post Lambert Asks Minority Contractors to Prove Discrimination as Part of DEI Crackdown appeared first on Construction Forum.

From Bisnow: The world’s largest tech companies have led a surge of data center construction across the Midwest with huge campuses for artificial intelligence. But the region’s next wave of build-out is expected to involve smaller facilities, with developers seeing opportunities to repurpose defunct industrial sites and languishing office space as AI processing centers. From […]

The post Old Factories, Empty Offices Help Fuel Midwest Data Center Building Boom appeared first on Construction Forum.

From Construction Physics: It’s unfortunately not uncommon for pedestrians to be killed by cars in the US. More than 7,300 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle accidents in the US in 2023, around 18% of all motor vehicle deaths that year. Until around 2009, pedestrian deaths in the US had been falling, declining from 7,516 […]

The post Why Are So Many Pedestrians Killed by Cars in the US? appeared first on Construction Forum.

From Virginia Tech: The 2018 collapse of a pedestrian bridge in Miami, Florida, served as a headgear wake-up call for Scott Greenhaus. A 40-plus-year veteran of the construction industry, Greenhaus was working with his team to install a post-tensioning system when the bridge collapsed. It killed five motorists and one team member and left the […]

The post First-Ever Construction Helmet Ratings Show Modern Designs Can Save Lives appeared first on Construction Forum.

From St. Louis Public Radio: After an hour of public testimony Tuesday night, University City’s stormwater commission recommended the city council deny a proposal to build more than 100 townhomes in an unused part of a local cemetery. The commission’s decision, while not the final determination, serves as a temporary victory for nearly all the […]

The post U City Stormwater Commission Recommends Rejecting Housing Development appeared first on Construction Forum.

In a notable infrastructure mishap, a City of St. Louis Water Department boom-truck struck the Union Avenue pedestrian bridge over Forest Park Parkway late last week, delivering structural damage that engineers now say is beyond economical repair. The incident has prompted the city to expedite plans for demolition and removal of the span. The Accident […]

The post Pedestrian Bridge Over Forest Park Parkway to Be Demolished appeared first on Construction Forum.