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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.
It’s been another busy week for construction news.
A Philadelphia court awarded a hotel developer $174.6 million damages by the contractor Tutor Perini for breach of contract, and data centers are beginning to encounter major obstacles in the form of access to power and public opposition.
Read on for more construction news this week that builders should know.
Court upholds Biden-era PLA mandate
Former President Joe Biden’s mandate for the project’s labor deal has won another battle, further cementing it as policy even after President Donald Trump’s administration took over the White House.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday upheld the denial of a preliminary order to suspend the mandate of the PLAwhich affects projects that receive $35 million or more in federal funding. Associated Builders and Contractors and its Florida First Coast chapter appealed an injunction.
In the decision, Chief Justice William Pryor said the appeal would likely fail because the Office of Management and Budget issued a note that confirms the order of the Biden era would remain, even under the Trump administration.
ABC has long opposed the PLAs requirement, saying the mandate unfairly blocks non-union builders from winning federal contracts. In a statement shared with Construction Dive, ABC President and CEO Michael Bellaman said the group will continue to fight the mandate.
“At no time, under any administration, have federal contractors ever been prevented from voluntarily entering into a PLA when that arrangement makes sense for their workforce,” Bellaman said. “Every qualified contractor should have the opportunity to build America.”
—Zachary Phillips
Costs rise 4.87% from 2025, Turner says
Turner Construction’s boots on the ground have confirmed what economists have seen from afar: Data centers and other technology-aligned construction projects are in demand, but costs are also rising.
The New York City-based contractor issued its Turner’s Building Cost Index for the first quarter of 2026, a metric that measures non-residential construction costs. The index showed a year-on-year increase of 4.87% and a quarter-on-quarter increase of 1.32%. This annual rate, if continued through 2026, would mark the gauge’s steepest annual increase since 2023. The index posted a 4.1% year-over-year increase in 2025.
“High-growth areas such as data centers, manufacturing and semiconductor facilities are driving strong demand, particularly in the Midwest and Southeast, while traditional commercial construction has softened in several markets,” said Attilio Rivetti, Turner vice president. “The costs of materials such as steel, aluminum and copper have seen increases in the first quarter.”
The data set goes back more than 80 yearsusing competitive labor rates, productivity, material prices and local conditions from Turner projects across the country. Offers a perspective different from traditional economic criteriasays Turner, because of its broader inclusion of these factors observed in workplaces.
—Joe Bousquin
Skanska offers a health center
Sweden-based developer and builder Skanska has delivered a 53,000-square-foot healthcare facility in Redmond, Oregon, the firm announced Monday. The new Sant Carles Cancer Center opened to patients that same day.
The two-story facility is about nine times the size of Redmond’s former cancer center and is designed to serve up to 300 patients a day. It houses 36 exam rooms and a 5,000 square foot chemotherapy infusion room.
The project required specialized work to support advanced cancer treatment technology, according to the statement shared with Construction Dive. The concrete vault that houses the linear accelerator for radiation treatments is 6 feet 6 inches thick, with a ceiling thickness that ranges from 4 to 8 feet. This work required about 5.6 million pounds of concrete.
In addition, the structure incorporates solid wood, with 86 lamella beams and 30 cross-laminated timber panels, making up more than 10,000 square feet of the second floor deck and structure.
Construction of the project began in June 2024 and ended in February 2025.
—Zachary Phillips
Gilbane Development taps into new capital markets
Providence, Rhode Island-based Gilbane Development Co., a real estate developer and sister company of contractor Gilbane Building Co., has appointed Andreas Vlahakis as Head of Capital Marketsaccording to a Monday announcement.
Vlahakis will refine and execute Gilbane Development’s capital and financing strategy, according to the announcement. He will also make investment decisions, develop and strengthen the company’s relationships with its financing and equity partners, and lead transaction structuring and negotiations. He will report directly to James Patchett, the company’s president and CEO.
Prior to joining the developer, Vlahakis was managing director of capital markets at Thor Equities, a New York City-based real estate developer, where he led all capital-raising efforts involving the firm’s deals and partners.
“I look forward to strengthening relationships with the firm’s equity partners and helping unlock new opportunities across asset classes,” Vlahakis said in the press release.
— Matthew Thibault
