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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 […]

The post MO AG Tries to Block Clean-Energy Power Line appeared first on Construction Forum.

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 […]

The post Bamboo Equity Plans $80M Investment in 39 North appeared first on Construction Forum.

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 […]

The post AGC Says Jobs Rose 15K in June, As Firms Tried to Retain Workers Amid Market Uncertainty appeared first on Construction Forum.

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 […]

The post Despite Conventional Wisdom, St. Louis Still a Fortune 500 City appeared first on Construction Forum.

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 […]

The post Safety Council Offers Program on Real-Time Drug Impairment Testing appeared first on Construction Forum.

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 […]

The post Ryan Freeman Named CEO at PayneCrest Electric appeared first on Construction Forum.

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 […]

The post Jim Fowler, JF Electric Founder, Dies at 88 appeared first on Construction Forum.

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 […]

The post Redevelopment of Mark Twain Hotel Falls Through: Building on Market appeared first on Construction Forum.

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 […]

The post Blackline Design Breaks Ground on Crop Research Facility appeared first on Construction Forum.

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 […]

The post Clayco Program to Reduce Employee Student Debt Spreads to Major Corporations appeared first on Construction Forum.

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 […]

The post Ameren Plans Gas/Battery Hybrid Plant for Jefferson County appeared first on Construction Forum.

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 […]

The post Home Builders Association Donates $20,000 to Promise Community Homes appeared first on Construction Forum.

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 […]

The post Liebman Named Marketing Principal for HOK; McDonald Transitions to Consulting appeared first on Construction Forum.

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, […]

The post Designing Neuroinclusive Workplaces appeared first on Construction Forum.

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 […]

The post STL Art Place Initiative – Transforming Vacant Places into Creative Spaces appeared first on Construction Forum.

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 […]

The post Logistics and Manufacturing Drive the St. Louis Region’s Economy appeared first on Construction Forum.

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 […]

The post Worker Wellness Blog: Pope Leo’s View of Workers and AI Copy appeared first on Construction Forum.

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 […]

The post Rebuilding Metro East: Interstate Projects Highlight Another Historic Construction Season appeared first on Construction Forum.

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 […]

The post McBride Homes, Builder’s Bloc Reach Settlement Over Deed Claims appeared first on Construction Forum.

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. […]

The post Electrical Connection Completes Donated Services for St. Jude Dream Home appeared first on Construction Forum.