Highway, Transit Contractors Get $17 Billion Boost

With the signing of the new federal transportation bill, the Mid-Atlantic States will receive $17.4 billion in funding through 2009 plus billions for specific projects.

Mid-Atlantic Cashes in on Transportation Bill

WASHINGTON - Contractors and designers in the Mid-Atlantic who work in the highway and transit sectors are breathing a bit easier following the signing of a new federal transportation bill August 10.

The new federal transportation bill includes $100 million in funding for the expansion of Interestate-81 and addition of dedicated truck lanes.

The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for User provides $286.5 billion in guaranteed obligations between 2005 and 2009. Of that total, the Mid-Atlantic States will receive $17.39 billion in funding, plus billions of additional dollars earmarked for specific projects.

The District of Columbia emerged as a big winner in SAFETEA-LU. The District will receive $151.6 million annually through 2009 - a 38.9 percent increase over the funding provided by the previous transportation bill, TEA-21. The bill also includes a combined $123 million for the rehabilitation of the Frederick Douglas Memorial Bridge.

Virginia also made out well with a 31.9 percent increase in funding, bringing the annual guarantees to $938.6 million. The state is home to several of the highest-dollar projects earmarked in the bill. The expansion of Interestate-81, which would include dedicated truck lanes, received $100 million. Another $37 million will go toward a third tunnel crossing at Hampton Roads. Two earmarks of more than $20 million will go toward projects on Interstate-66 in northern Virginia.

Maryland's Intercounty Connector project will finally get off the ground thanks to $18 million earmarked in the bill. Construction of the ICC, which would link U.S. Route 1 in Prince George's County to Interstate-270 in Montgomery County, will begin next year, according to a statement from Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich Jr.

In addition to earmarked funds, Maryland will receive $583.2 million in annual funding, a 31.6 percent boost.

Delaware will receive $791 million during the next five years plus $41.4 million toward the replacement of the Indian River Inlet Bridge in Sussex County.

Pennsylvania came up at the short end of the list, earning the minimum 19 percent increase in annual funding. The state will receive $1.65 billion annually.

New 25-Story Skyscraper Planned for Richmond Cityscape

Goodstein Development Corporation recently announced plans to build the new $175 million 25-story Centennial Towers. Groundbreaking on the 515,000-sq.-ft. mixed-use building is slated for early 2007.

RICHMOND, VA - A new 515,000-sq.-ft. mixed-use building could tickle the top of Richmond's skyline by mid-2009. Goodstein Development Corporation recently announced plans to build the new $175 million 25-story Centennial Towers.

Current plans call for ten to 15 levels of residential, totaling 250,000-sq.-ft. of space. One hundred and fifty thousand sq. ft. of Class A corporate office space would occupy eight levels of the building. The remainder of the development would include a 75,000-sq.-ft. boutique hotel, 40,000 sq. ft. of retail space and garages. The exact size of the project will finalized after a market analysis is completed this month.

The design team on the project includes Baskervill, which will serve as architect, engineer and interior designer; VHB, which will provide civil engineering; Froehling & Robertson, which is handling geotechnical engineering; and Ronayne, Turner & Brown, which is the structural engineer. The design is expected to be completed in late 2007.

A general contractor is scheduled to be selected by the end of the year. Groundbreaking is slated for early 2007 with an estimated move-in date of mid-2009.

URS, RKK, PB Land ICC Contract

MARYLAND - The Maryland Department of Transportation selected the joint venture of URS Corporation of Hunt Valley, Rummel, Klepper & Kahl of Baltimore and Parsons Brinkerhoff of Herndon, Va., to provide general engineering consulting services for the Intercounty Connector project north of Washington, D.C.

The announcement of the deal came as Congress passed the new federal transportation bill, which included $18 million for the ICC project.

The ICC will link Interstate-270 in Montgomery County and U.S. Route 1 in Prince George's County. Under terms of the contract, the joint venture will be responsible for transportation and environmental planning as well as engineering services for the planning and preliminary design phase of the project.

High-Rise Residential Sector Looking Up for Centex

FAIRFAX,VA - Effort to expand its focus to include mid-rise/high-rise residential markets is paying off for Centex. The Fairfax, Va.-based company is serving as the general contractor for Comstock Potomac Yard Landbay F in Arlington, Va. and the Westin Alexandria Hotel project in Alexandria, Va. The two deals represent nearly $160 million in work.

The $66 Westin project includes 230,000 sq. ft. of hotel space and 103,000 sq. ft. of condominiums, housed within a 15-story building. The Cooper Carry & Associates-design is scheduled for completion in July 2007.

The $93 million Potomac Yards project will include 482,000 sq. ft. of residential space in two 11-story towers and two six-story wings over top of two and a half levels of below-grade parking. The Davis, Carter, Scott-designed project is currently under construction and slated for completion in December 2006.

K-12, Higher Ed Demand Keeps Contracts Coming

Firms around the region continue to bank on the strong K-12 and higher education market sectors for work.

DWKCB Architects of Hatfield, Pa., was recently selected by the Lower Merion School district to design two new high schools. Each school is anticipated to encompass around 330,000 sq. ft. of space and will include elements to achieve LEED certification.

Oak Contracting of Towson, Md., recently signed new contracts with two school districts in Maryland. The company will serve as construction manager for the modernization of Parkland Magnet Middle School for Aerospace Technology in Montgomery County. The Baltimore City Public School System selected Oak Contracting to serve as on-call construction manager for a three-year term. Oak is currently assisting with pre-construction of the Dunbar High School renovation in Baltimore.

KBS of Richmond, Va., landed a contract to serve as general contractor for the University of Mary Washington's college of Graduate and Professional Studies Building Two project in Stratford County, Va. The two-story 43,000-sq.-ft. dormitory on the campus is estimated to cost $10 million. The Moseley Architects-designed building is slated for completion in August 2006.

Manekin recently broke ground on a two-story 47,250-sq.-ft. building in Commons Corporate Center in Hanover, Md. The GVA Architecture/Interior Design-designed building is one of three new Manekin projects started this summer.

Manekin Breaks Ground on Three Projects

COLUMBIA, MD - Manekin of Columbia, Md., broke ground on three projects in August. The firm began construction of the $33 million Vista Gardens in Lanham, Md. The 407,000-sq.-ft. complex will feature a two-story 40,000-sq.-ft. office/retail building as well as a 69,000-sq.-ft. Shoppers Food Warehouse as the anchor tenant.

Manekin also started construction on a two-story 47,250-sq.-ft. building in Commons Corporate Center in Hanover, Md. The GVA Architecture/Interior Design-designed building is scheduled for January 2006.

Ground has also broken at University Center in Ashburn, Va. The 80,000-sq.-ft. four-building condominium project is scheduled for completion by the end of the year.

Alvin H. Butz broke ground on its Butz Corporate Center in Allentown, Pa. The six-story 76,000-sq.-ft. first-class office and retail building is phase one of a larger 124,000-sq.-ft. project that will serve as Alvin H. Butz corporate headquarters.

Butz Begins Work on Corporate Headquarters

ALLENTOWN, PA - Alvin H. Butz broke ground on its Butz Corporate Center in Allentown, Pa. The six-story 76,000-sq.-ft. first-class office and retail building is phase one of a larger 124,000-sq.-ft. project that will serve as Alvin H. Butz corporate headquarters.

Butz is the construction manager. Roberson Butz Architects designed the building, which will be ready for occupancy in spring 2006.

R.W. Murrary Starts Westfields Project

MANASSAS, VA - R.W. Murray of Manassas recently broke ground on the 21,626-sq.-ft. Westfields Restaurant Park in Chantilly, Va. The $2.39 million restaurant and retail project is being developed by The Long Companies of Middleburg, Va. Zivic & Hurdle of Fairfax, Va., is the architect.

Davis Langdon Enters Philly Market

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Davis Langdon, an international construction cost and project management consultancy firm, has officially entered the Philadelphia market, opening a new office there. Simon Hough, senior associate, is heading the operations in the Philadelphia office.