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Construction Dive’s Friday Punch List is a series dedicated to sharing the top building headlines that contractors may have missed during the week.
This week’s headlines showed some major builders announcing wins with staggering contract amounts. In particular, Suffolk will serve as the construction manager of a $1.2 billion student housing project in San Luis Obispo, California, and Lane Construction captured a Florida’s $582 million interstate job.
But there was other news from last week that contractors should also be aware of. Read on for other top stories.
Barton Malow is making progress on the stadium’s historic renovations
Wednesday was Jackie Robinson Day, the 79th anniversary of the day in 1947 that the legend broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
To mark the occasion, Southfield, Michigan-based Barton Malow announced this week that it has completed Phase 1 of comprehensive reforms at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Florida.
In collaboration with the City of Daytona Beach and architect MSA Design, Barton Mallow completed major work on the facility, first built in 1914 and the site of Robinson’s spring training debut in 1946. Today, the ballpark is the home of the Daytona Tortugas, the Single A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
Updates delivered by the contractor include:
- A state-of-the-art player development facility.
- New clubs at home and away.
- New stores and team offices.
- Indoor batting cages.
- Improved bathrooms and club lounge areas.
- Accessible parking improvements.
- Improvement of infrastructure throughout the facility.
Additional phases will build on the foundation laid by that work, according to the release, further modernizing the venue that has carried Robinson’s name since 1989.
—Zachary Phillips
Jacobs wins 2 Chicago infrastructure contracts
The Illinois DOT used Jacobs for two projects I-290 Eisenhower Express Corridora critical link in the Chicago area’s transportation network, according to an April 10 news release.
The first project includes design and project management services for the replacement of the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad bridge. The Dallas-based contractor will use an accelerated construction phase to minimize disruption to the busy freight corridor. Ultimately, the work will serve as a key driver for the future expansion of the I-290 corridor.
The second project provides comprehensive construction supervision and inspection services for the installation of an additional storm sewer under I-290. Jacobs will complete this portion of the work using specialized underground tunneling methods.
— Sebastian Obando
The Port Arthur LNG project is moving forward
Reston, Virginia-based Bechtel continues to advance the Port Arthur LNG project in Jefferson County, Texas. both of them Phase 1 and Phase 2 of construction progress according to the schedule.
Bechtel originally won the $13 billion Phase 1 of the project in 2018. As part of the Phase 1 scope, Bechtel is working on liquefaction trains 1 and 2, which are expected to be commercially operational in 2027 and 2028 respectively, according to the project website.
Bechtel won the second phase of work in July 2024. This phase, a $14 billion investment, will see the contractor add trains 3 and 4 to its to-do list. Through the four trains and associated storage facilities, the LNG plant will contain a nominal capacity of approximately 26 million tons per year of liquefied natural gas, according to its website.
At its Gulf Coast projects, which include PALNG, Bechtel has also established a new safety initiative. Employees in their first three months on the job will now wear different colored hats, a company spokesperson told Construction Dive. These allow for earlier check-ins, clearer communication and enhanced safety for new employees as they become accustomed to workplace culture and safe work practices.
— Matthew Thibault
Design firm KTGY has a new boss
National design company KTGY called William Bate as its new CEO, according to a Tuesday press release from executive search firm N2Growth.
Bate joins the company from Boston Consulting Groupwhere he served as managing director and partner and led the firm’s North American real estate and cities practice, according to a statement from KTGY. KTGY said Bate brings expertise in strategy, operations, mergers and acquisitions, digital transformation and driving large-scale growth in the real estate and services sectors.
Bate will be based in the firm’s Washington, DC office.
Irvine, Calif.-based KTGY, which was founded in 1991 and has seven offices nationwide, selected Bate to succeed Trica Esser, who had served as CEO since 2006, according to the release. The firm focuses on architecture, interior design, brand environments and urban design, according to its website. Its projects include multi-family housing, student housing, mixed use, hospitality, commerce and offices, among other sectors.
“I am honored to join KTGY at such an exciting time in its journey,” Bate said in the statement. “This is a company with a strong legacy and a clear sense of purpose.”
—Joe Bousquin
