July 14, 2026

Dear Members and Friends,

As we look ahead, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: our region is entering a period unlike anything we've experienced before.

Major capital projects are lining up across the St. Louis region, and while this is exciting news for our industry, it also brings a very real challenge—workforce capacity. Many of our owners are expressing concern about the availability of skilled labor, particularly within the electrical trades, and the ripple effects this could have on project schedules, costs, and our entire construction community.

Because of the significance of these conversations, we are changing course.

Rather than our previously planned Town Hall, we are inviting everyone in the AEC community to join us this August at Ameren for a special Construction Outlook & Workforce Forum.

This is not simply another networking event—it is an opportunity to hear directly from the region's largest owners and buyers of construction as they discuss the projects on the horizon, the challenges they foresee, and the conversations our industry needs to be having today to prepare for tomorrow.

Whether you are an owner, architect, engineer, contractor, subcontractor, supplier, or service provider, your perspective matters. The decisions and discussions that begin in this room could help shape how our region collaborates to meet the demands ahead. It also helps to understand the projects that could be impacted as demand on projects raises costs and reduces projects being let.

Watch for registration details soon. We encourage you to make plans now to attend.

This issue also features several great articles we think you'll enjoy, along with highlights from another wonderful Second Friday Coffee. Thank you to everyone who joined us for a morning of conversation, new connections, and collaboration. These informal gatherings continue to remind us that some of the best ideas begin over a cup of coffee.

Finally, we're thrilled to officially welcome Morgan McDevitt, our new Membership Engagement Manager, and Maria Monteleone, our Executive Assistant, to the SLC3 team. They recently had the opportunity to attend their first Coffee event and begin meeting many of our members. The enthusiasm they've already shown has been wonderful to see, and we can't wait for the rest of our membership to get to know them.

In fact, our August forum may be the perfect opportunity for everyone to meet Morgan and Maria while also participating in one of the most important industry discussions we'll have this year.

We look forward to seeing you there. In the meantime, I am off to enjoy some R&R and family time. Hopefully you have some of that yourselves!

Ps. Don’t forget we still need volunteers for committees and are always looking for speakers and content for our newsletter.

Don’t be shy, reach out!

My best always,

Kelly

Kelly Jackson, Executive Director

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AT A GLANCE...

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

News & Updates

Owner Member Town Hall: Canceled

2nd Friday Coffee Recap

The Story Behind Iris at Cortex

Training & Education

When a Building Buckles

The Lost Art of De-escalation: Why Restraint May Be Our Greatest Strength

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UPCOMING PROGRAMS & EVENTS

Owner Member Town Hall Update

The July 14th SLC3 Owner Member Town Hall has been CANCELED and is being rescheduled. We know this conversation is an important one, and we want to make sure our owner members have the best opportunity to participate, share perspective, and be part of the discussion.

A new date and time will be announced soon, and we will keep members updated as details are finalized. Thank you for your flexibility and continued engagement as we work to bring our owner community together for meaningful conversation around the challenges and opportunities shaping our region’s construction industry.

Stay tuned for the rescheduled date!

MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

SCI Engineering Welcomes Kaylee Cannon, P.E.

Please join us in congratulating SLC3 member SCI Engineering, Inc. on welcoming Kaylee Cannon, P.E. to their team as a Senior Engineer.

Kaylee brings strong geotechnical engineering expertise and a proven track record of supporting complex projects, building client relationships, maintaining quality standards, and mentoring engineering staff. Her technical knowledge, leadership, and client-focused approach will be a valuable addition to the SCI team.

Congratulations to Kaylee and SCI Engineering on this exciting new chapter!

LUZCO Welcomes William DeCostanza as Director of Substation Engineering

Congratulations to SLC3 member LUZCO Technologies on welcoming William "Billy" DeCostanza as the company's new Director of Substation Engineering.

Bringing more than a decade of experience in power systems and utility engineering, Billy joins the LUZCO leadership team with a strong background in delivering reliable engineering solutions while building high-performing teams. His expertise will support LUZCO's continued growth as the firm expands its impact across the utility and energy sectors.

Please join SLC3 in welcoming Billy and his family to the St. Louis community. We look forward to the leadership and expertise he'll bring to our region's construction and infrastructure industry.

The Story Behind Iris at Cortex: How Integrated Design Builds Connection

Great projects do more than fill space. They create a sense of place.

That is what makes Iris at Cortex such a strong example for the St. Louis design and construction community. Located in the heart of the Cortex Innovation District, Iris represents more than a mixed-use development. It reflects what can happen when owners, designers, developers, and creative partners align early around a shared vision.

For SLC3 members, this project offers a valuable reminder: the built environment is strongest when every piece of the project works together from the beginning.

A Brand Built Around Place

Arcturis partnered with Jason Braidwood and Keeley Properties to develop the brand identity for Iris, a mixed-use development designed to support the energy, creativity, and growth happening within Cortex.

The name, visual identity, color palette, architecture, interiors, signage, and overall experience were not treated as separate pieces. They were developed as part of one cohesive story.

That matters.

In construction and development, branding is sometimes viewed as something that happens at the end of a project. A logo is added, signage is installed, marketing materials are created, and the building is promoted. But Iris shows a more intentional approach. Here, the brand became part of the experience from the ground up.

From the building’s exterior presence to the interior environment and tenant-facing touchpoints, every element was designed to work together. The result is a project that feels thoughtful, connected, and rooted in its surroundings.

Why Integrated Design Matters

Integrated design is about more than aesthetics. It is about alignment.

When architecture, interiors, branding, and placemaking are considered together, projects can become more intuitive, memorable, and useful for the people who experience them. For owners and project teams, that early collaboration can help reduce disconnects later in the process. For tenants, residents, visitors, and the surrounding community, it can create a stronger sense of belonging.

That is especially important in a district like Cortex, where innovation, entrepreneurship, research, and community all intersect. A mixed-use development in this environment needs to do more than look modern. It needs to feel active, welcoming, and connected to the broader mission of the district.

The Iris identity was inspired by midcentury modern design, Bauhaus principles, warmth, inclusivity, innovation, connection, and culture. Those influences come through in a brand that feels both polished and approachable. It gives the project a distinct personality while still supporting the energy of the neighborhood around it.

A St. Louis Project with a Bigger Message

For the St. Louis community, projects like Iris help shape how people experience the city.

Cortex has become one of the region’s most recognizable innovation hubs, bringing together institutions, companies, entrepreneurs, workers, residents, and visitors.

Developments within the district play an important role in shaping not only the physical landscape, but also the perception of what St. Louis can offer.

When a project is designed with intention, it contributes to more than the skyline. It supports economic development, talent attraction, neighborhood activity, and community identity.

That is why the story behind Iris is relevant to SLC3 members. Our members are not just building projects. They are helping build the environments where people work, collaborate, live, gather, and grow.

Lessons for Owners, Designers, and Construction Partners

The Iris project highlights a few important takeaways for construction consumers and project partners.

First, early alignment matters. When owners, designers, developers, and branding partners understand the vision from the start, the project can move forward with more clarity and cohesion.

Second, design decisions carry long-term value. Materials, signage, interiors, graphics, and public-facing elements all contribute to how a project is experienced. These details can influence tenant interest, user satisfaction, community perception, and the overall success of the development.

Third, collaboration creates better outcomes. The strongest projects are rarely the result of one perspective. They come from teams that communicate well, understand the end user, and stay connected to the purpose behind the project.

For SLC3 members, this is exactly the kind of thinking that strengthens our industry. Great construction outcomes depend on more than schedules, budgets, and technical execution. Those pieces are essential, but they are most powerful when paired with vision, communication, and shared purpose.

Building Spaces That Build Community

At its core, Iris is a reminder that design can help tell a story.

It can communicate energy. It can create warmth. It can make a place feel connected before a person ever steps inside. And when that design is supported by thoughtful construction, strong partnerships, and a clear understanding of the community it serves, the result can be much greater than the sum of its parts.

For St. Louis, projects like Iris add to the momentum of a city that continues to grow, adapt, and reimagine how people connect through the built environment.

For SLC3, it is a strong example of why collaboration across disciplines matters. Owners, architects, designers, construction teams, developers, and community partners all play a role in shaping places that serve people well.

Great projects start with great vision.

But the best ones are built through strong collaboration.

NEWS & UPDATES

Extreme Heat & Construction Safety: What St. Louis Construction Teams Should Know Right Now

Summer heat in St. Louis is more than uncomfortable — it is a serious jobsite safety and planning issue. With dangerous heat index values and high humidity, construction teams face increased risks from direct sun, heavy labor, PPE, equipment heat, and long shifts. Heat-related illness can lead to dehydration, fatigue, reduced focus, slower reaction times, and a greater chance of mistakes or incidents, impacting not only worker health but also productivity, quality, and schedule performance.

The best heat safety plans start before symptoms appear. Crews should have access to cool drinking water, shaded or cooled rest areas, and scheduled recovery breaks that reflect the day’s conditions. When possible, strenuous work should be planned earlier in the day, and supervisors should be trained to recognize warning signs like dizziness, nausea, cramping, confusion, or weakness. New and returning workers need extra attention, as OSHA notes that most heat illness fatalities occur during the first week of work, making gradual acclimatization critical.

For owners, contractors, designers, suppliers, and project partners, extreme heat should be part of the broader project conversation. It can affect crew performance, delivery timing, site logistics, inspections, and emergency planning. In St. Louis, summer weather is part of the work environment, and managing that risk well is a mark of strong project leadership. As temperatures rise, the message is simple: plan ahead, watch your crews, and treat heat as the serious jobsite hazard it is.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Project Spotlight: Poettker Completes Innovation Logistics Center in North Carolina

Poettker Construction Company recently completed the Innovation Logistics Center, a 472,890-square-foot Class A distribution facility in Salisbury, North Carolina, developed for Crow Holdings.

Built on a 40-acre site, the facility includes 84 dock doors, 4 drive-in doors and 162 load-bearing concrete tilt-up panels designed to support today’s logistics and distribution operations.

The project also required significant site preparation, including the remediation of high-plasticity clays, silts and moisture-sensitive soils during the winter months. That behind-the-scenes work was essential to creating a stable foundation for a large-scale industrial facility.

Why this matters to SLC3 members:

Projects like this highlight the planning, coordination and technical expertise required to deliver modern distribution facilities. For construction consumers, it is a reminder that successful projects are built long before the walls go up — through strong site evaluation, risk management, material selection and collaboration across the project team.

As logistics and industrial development continue to shape regional economies, this project offers a useful look at the construction practices helping support the movement of goods, workforce needs and long-term facility performance.

CALL FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS? TIME TO HELP...

Much of the work we do is driven by member volunteers, and right now our committees could use a few more voices and helping hands. Committee service offers an opportunity to influence priorities, collaborate with peers, and support initiatives that impact the industry and our region. If you’re willing to get involved—even in a small way—we invite you to sign up.

Committee Info

HELP US KEEP THE PICTURE CURRENT

The construction and development landscape across the region continues to move quickly—and keeping our information accurate and relevant matters.

We’ve recently updated our construction and development listings to reflect new projects, changes in scope, and activity across the greater St. Louis area. These updates help ensure that our members have access to timely, useful insight into what’s being built, redeveloped, and planned throughout the region.

That said, no one has a better pulse on what’s happening than the people working in it every day. If you’re aware of a project that’s underway, planned, or evolving—or if you notice something that needs to be updated—we invite you to share it with us. Your input helps strengthen the resource for everyone.

Keeping this information current is a collaborative effort, and we appreciate your help in making it as accurate and valuable as possible.

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Have something to share? Reach out anytime—we’re always glad to hear from you.

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When a Building Buckles: What the Former Pfizer Headquarters

Can Teach Construction Owners

A major structural scare in Midtown Manhattan is putting a national spotlight on a topic that matters far beyond New York: what happens when older buildings are asked to do new things.

Earlier this month, the former Pfizer headquarters at 235 East 42nd Street was evacuated after two load-bearing columns buckled during a large office-to-residential conversion project. According to industry reporting, the issue occurred around the 21st floor, where officials also reported cracked structural elements and sagging floors. Emergency crews, engineers, and city officials responded quickly, evacuating the site and nearby buildings while temporary shoring was installed to stabilize the structure. No injuries were reported.

The project itself is significant. The former Pfizer complex is being transformed into one of the largest office-to-residential conversions in the country, with plans for more than 1,600 apartments and a major vertical expansion. For many cities, projects like this represent an appealing solution to two challenges at once: underused office buildings and the need for more housing.

But the Manhattan incident is a reminder that adaptive reuse is never as simple as changing the label on a building.

The Lost Art of De-escalation: Why Restraint May

Be Our Greatest Strength

In just the past few weeks, we've watched another heartbreaking tragedy unfold after a road rage incident claimed the life of a young man.

It began, as so many of these stories do, with something that should have been temporary—a traffic disagreement, a perceived slight, an emotional reaction. Within moments, frustration became anger. Anger became confrontation. Confrontation became irreversible.

One family went home without their son.

It raises a difficult question.

What is happening to us?

Because this isn't just about traffic anymore.

We're seeing it in workplaces.

We're seeing it in meetings.

We're seeing it online.

We're seeing it in customer service.

We're seeing it in our communities.

It feels as though the temperature of everyday life has risen.

Everyone Seems to Be Carrying More

Mental health experts often point to several contributing factors.

People are carrying heavier emotional loads than they were a decade ago.

Financial stress.

Constant bad news.

Social media outrage.

Political division.

Workplace pressures.

Lingering effects from years of disruption.

The Lost Art of True Tolerance

What if the greatest act of tolerance isn't agreeing with someone—but choosing to understand them?

Over the weekend, I listened to Dr. Robert Jeffress speak about the meaning of true tolerance. It challenged me to think about something I see becoming increasingly common in our relationships, workplaces, organizations, and communities.

Ironically, we live in a culture that talks constantly about tolerance while practicing very little of it.

Today's version of tolerance often comes with conditions. We expect others to respect our opinions, beliefs, and preferences, yet we can be quick to dismiss, criticize, or reject perspectives that differ from our own.

But that isn't tolerance.

True tolerance does not require agreement. It requires respect.

It means being able to say, "That isn't for me," without feeling compelled to attack, ridicule, or diminish someone else's experience. It recognizes that people can hold different beliefs, come from different backgrounds, process information differently, and still deserve dignity and kindness.

How Assumptions Create Division

Recently, I experienced something that reminded me just how easily misunderstandings happen.

Through a side job, I interact with people in a fast-paced online environment. During one conversation, I struggled to understand someone's username. The spelling and pronunciation...