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ECONOMIC REPORTS
π§ Construction Starts Increase 5% in November
Total construction starts increased 5% in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.2-trillion. Nonresidential building starts grew 2%, nonbuilding starts moved 16% higher, while residential starts fell 1%. Manufacturing starts were down 40%, commercial starts were up 5%, and institutional starts were 18% higher for the 12-months ending November 2024. (Dodge Construction Network)
CONSTRUCTION LAW
βοΈ The Site Report - Construction Law Insights - Issue 12
The construction industry is ever-changing and is impacted by extreme weather, new technology, labor issues, material and supply chain restraints, and code changes. This year was no different. As we [Spillman Thomas & Battle] wind up 2024, we wanted to look back at the top issues that affected our clients, colleagues, and the industry. (J. D Supra | Spilman Thomas & Battle)
INFRASTRUCTURE
π° Congress Passes, Biden Signs Continuing Resolution, Staving Off Government Shutdown
Federal funding for construction and infrastructure programs will remain at current levels until mid-March 2025, under a stopgap spending measure passed by Congress on December 20th. Other disaster relief spending in the CR includes: $3.4-billion to repair storm damage at U.S. Department of Defense installations; $3.1-billion for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure improvements; and $1.5-billion to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for rehabilitation and repairs, studies and projects to reduce the risks of future disasters, and to address water infrastructure needs. (Engineering News-Record)
COSMIC CONCRETE
πͺ Building Concrete on Mars From Local Materials
Imagine you've just gotten to Mars as part of the first contingent of settlers. Your first challenge: build a long-term habitat using local materials. Those might include water from the polar caps mixed with specific surface soils. They might even require some very personal contributions --- your blood, sweat, and tears. Using such in situ materials is the challenges a team of Iranian engineers studied in a research project looking at local materials on Mars. (Phys.org)
PROJECT TO WATCH
π₯οΈ Data Center Developer Pitches 447-Acre Project in Rosemount
An entity tied to Denver-based Tract has put forward plans to transform an eight-parcel site in Rosemount, which is currently farmland located along Courtyard Boulevard and bordering Hastings. The company confirmed that it is in the early stages of working with the city on a potential data center campus on the site. The proposal is currently undergoing the Alternative Urban Areawide Review environmental-review process with the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board. Construction is expected to begin in 2025. (Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal)
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