Solve Neiger
Managing partner
ZGF Architects
Portland, Ore., It is a continent away from Washington, DC, but the local construction industry expects to feel the effects of the decisions made in the country’s capital.
“The recent roller coaster of the Federal Government leads to the uncertainty among the owners, some of whom are awaiting the hope that the economy will stabilize,” says Neiger.
There is evidence that the construction pipeline is being reduced as the hesitation remains in certain sectors of the market. The question is how serious the stop can be.
“Like the rest of the country, in Portland there is uncertainty on how a volatile economy will affect labor and construction costs and the general project budgets.”
However, he says, positive prospects are not completely absent on the horizon.
The potential for increasing the investment of private owners can help to offset delays in federal funding efforts.
In addition, many in Oregon hope that there will be a rupture in business taxes to allow new businesses and opportunities locally and within the state, he says.
Although the Portland market is not immune to the wider challenges in the AEC industry, it is certainly better than most. According to Dodge Data & Analytics, total construction began, a $ 5.7 billion nadir in 2023, but have gathered since then. Beginning is expected to exceed $ 9.3 billion next year.
Non -residential and non -construction beginnings are expected to remain constant until $ 2026 for $ 3.2 billion and $ 2.5 billion respectively.
Growth is found elsewhere. Residential beginnings are expected to exceed $ 2022 of $ 3.5 billion a year, with single -family and multi -family projects.
“We are seeing more focus on public infrastructure and projects to support a growing population, as well as data centers and warehouses,” says Neiger. “We are also seeing a greater interest in master planning projects.”
Neiger says that many of the ZGF health customers are paying more attention to ensuring resilience in their facilities.
The approach not only helps them meet the needs of the communities they serve, but also allows them to integrate improvements that will help reduce operating costs. For example, investment in energy efficient buildings guarantees that an installation is able to deal with the impacts of a changing climate.
One of ZGF’s prominent care projects is the ongoing expansion of Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria, Ore. The design includes 180,000 square meters of new construction, including a critical expansion of the emergency service. The project includes operations room, larger patient rooms, image services, a new chapel and dining room.
The project is based on resilience through the inclusion of a first place tsunami vertical evacuation shelter integrated into a critical access hospital.
Transportation is another sector where the opportunities can be materialized if the financing can be resolved.
One of the projects that much of the region is looking closely is the effort to replace the interstate 5 bridge that covers the Columbia river between Oregon and the state of Washington. The $ 6 billion project is considered critical to the future of the region and the federal government has already pledged to provide a third of this amount.
It is not known if the new administration will choose to recover the funding that has been committed to the project or will allow the future funding to advance.
One of the recently completed local transport efforts is the main expansion of the Portland International Airport terminal.
ZGF served as a designer for $ 2 million effort. The expansion of 1 million-p-p-ft doubles the capacity of PDX and has a massive wooden roof of 9 hectares. The design of the roof was influenced by cost and construction, but it was also chosen as a head for the prosperous north -west wood industry.
Taking advantage of the opportunities presented in the near future, it will require navigating a series of problems that have besieged the broadest industry, according to Neighion.
“Although some problems of availability of the supply chain and the availability of materials that affected the industry in recent years stabilized,
We are now waiting to understand how they will affect possible rates both costs and availability, “he says.
Another concern, says Neiger, is the limited amount of skilled labor.
According to the General Associated Contractors of America (AGC), last year only two metro areas in the country experienced a greater fall in the occupation of the construction than Portland.
The area of Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Ore.-Wash., Lost 4,200 jobs between November 2023 and November 2024.
