Building Trades News

Metro Blue Line resumes service to downtown LA

89.3 KPCC, March 9

The Metro Blue Line resumed service to downtown L.A. this morning after this weekend's construction work closure, officials reported. Blue Line trains were not running in downtown Los Angeles this past weekend due to construction that will eventually tie the future Expo Line into existing Blue line tracks, said Gayle Anderson, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Port of Los Angeles roadway gets improvements

ABC 7, March  8

L.A.-area elected officials broke ground on a $22 million renovation of a roadway that connects the Port of L.A. The street improvements along a 1.3-mile stretch of Harry Bridges Boulevard is a federally funded project expected to create more than 250 local construction jobs

California employers add 32,500 jobs in January

LA Times,  March 5

California employers added 32,500 to their payrolls in January, a sign that the state's moribund labor market might finally be stirring to life. The gains came as sectors throughout the economy, including construction and manufacturing, started to hire workers, according to numbers released Friday by the Employment Development Department.

Irvine’s Suffolk Construction lands $35.5 million school project

OC Metro, Feb 23

Suffolk Construction Co.’s Irvine office this month will break ground on a new $35.5 million campus for the Los Angeles Unified School District. It’s the fourth project that the district has awarded to Suffolk.

LA officials break ground on massive $1.5B expansion of LAX international terminal

LA Times, Feb 22

Construction began Monday on a $1.5 billion project to expand the international terminal at Los Angeles International Airport — a facility ranked one of the worst in the nation.

Downtown Celebrates Convention Center Hotel Opening

LA Downtown News, February 16

A chorus of Los Angeles political and business leaders turned out this morning to celebrate the opening of the $1 billion Convention Center headquarters hotel. Officials described the structure at L.A. Live as the completion of a long-awaited dream, one that will allow the city to compete on the top tier of the country’s convention industry.

Los Angeles eyes Owens Lake for huge solar project

Reuters, February 10

An old battleground of California's water wars could turn into one of the largest solar farms in the world, with thousands of shiny black and blue panels mounted across the desiccated, salty white crust of Owens Lake.

That's the plan by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP), the largest public utility in the United States.

Officials approve plans for Expo Line route on Westside

LA Times, February 5

Los Angeles transportation officials on Thursday took a major step in bringing commuter rail to the Westside, approving plans for a route linking downtown L.A. to Santa Monica.

Officials hope to begin work later this year on phase two of the Expo Line, a nearly seven-mile link from downtown Culver City to the corner of 4th Street and Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica's main business district. Phase one of Expo Line is already under construction from downtown Los Angeles to Culver City.

Southern California Edison signs solar deal with Recurrent Energy

LA TImes, February 2

Southern California Edison has signed yet another deal to buy power from solar projects, this time with San Francisco-based developer Recurrent Energy.

Los Angeles might require rainwater capture

LA Times, February 1

A proposed law would require new homes, larger developments and some redevelopments in Los Angeles to capture and reuse runoff generated in rainstorms.

Permits Jump, Signal Construction Gains

(Bloomberg, January 20)

Building permits in the U.S. unexpectedly jumped in December, signaling gains in housing will be sustained into 2010 after winter weather depressed construction at the end of last year.

New L.A. luxury hotels face tough debuts

(LA Times, January 16)

The newest downtown hotel complex buzzed with activity this week as carpenters, electricians and gardeners hustled to put the finishing touches on the $970-million skyscraper that rises over the Los Angeles Convention Center and the L.A. Live entertainment center.

California approves toughest statewide green building code in U.S.

(USA Today, January 13)

California approved Tueday the most stringent, eco-friendly statewide building code in the United States.

The new code, which won a unanimous vote by the state building commssion and will apply to new homes, hospitals, schools and shopping malls, takes effect next Janaury.

Stimulus projects delayed by review backlog

LA Times, January 4

Construction projects funded by federal stimulus money aimed at jump-starting California’s economy are being delayed as much as two months because of a bureaucratic backlog, the state’s inspector general said Monday.

Sunset Strip is getting its first repaving in 75 years

LA Times, Decemebr 31

Business owners say they hope the Sunset Strip repaving project will help enliven the area. About 1.6 miles of the road, which was last paved in the 1930s, will be resurfaced. The project will take about six months.

LA Downtown News, December 30

In 2010, major developments planned in sunnier times will finish construction. The activity will take place all across Downtown, with hotels, housing complexes and more debuting everywhere from the Historic Core to the Figueroa Corridor. Here are five mega-projects Downtown is eagerly anticipating:

California's renewable pipeline hits nearly 70 GW

Reuters, December 29

Renewable energy projects proposed in California total nearly 70 gigawatts, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Tuesday, a large pipeline that could help the state meet its renewable energy goals.

Final leg of SCE renewable energy project gets OK

LA Times, December 18

Southern California Edison has gotten the green light Thursday to build the final segments of a nearly $2-billion transmission line that will connect customers with renewable energy produced by windmills.

Final Plan for Expo Line from Culver City to Santa Monica Released

LAIst December 21

If the Expo Line Construction Authority Board approves the Final Environmental Impact Report at their February 4th meeting, construction could begin sometime in 2010 with completion in 2015. However, at least one citizens group, Neighbors for Smart Rail, plan to file a lawsuit over at-grade crossings near schools, which could stall building. 

Report: Road Conditions Cost L.A. Drivers $2,500 Annually

KTLA, December 17

Damaged and congested roadways are costing drivers in Los Angeles nearly $2,500 a year, according to a national report released Thursday.

New pipeline will link San Gabriel, Rio Hondo spreading grounds

Whittier Daily News, December 16

PICO RIVERA - Pipeline construction began Wednesday for a two-tiered, $4.95 million multi-agency project that will link the San Gabriel River and Rio Hondo spreading grounds. 

Board Approves Funding for New Glendale Courthouse

Metropolitan News-Enterprise Dec. 15

Construction of a new Glendale courthouse, along with four other new courthouses across the state financed by Senate Bill 1407, received initial funding authorization December 14th by the State Public Works Board.

Desalination project forges ahead in California

Reuters, December 11

Developers of what will be the biggest seawater desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere prevailed on Thursday over a bid by environmental activists to halt construction north of San Diego.

MTA approves South L.A.-South Bay light-rail line

LA Times, December 11

A new light-rail system through South Los Angeles and the South Bay was approved by transit officials Thursday, but some local politicians and residents worry that the rail line could pose similar problems that have hampered other projects.

New Data Shows Construction Industry Below State Diesel Emissions

PRNewswire, December 8

Contractors and other operators of off-road diesel equipment will exceed ambitious new emissions targets set by California officials according to new state figures released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. New data from the California Air Resources Board indicates there is no need to impose costly new "diesel retrofit" rules forcing contractors to purchase new equipment before 2014, the association noted.

AFL-CIO may help lift Chicago Spire

(Marketplace, Nov 30)

Construction pretty much everywhere has slowed to a crawl since the recession started. That is true in housing, and it is true in commercial real estate as well.

Back in 2007, developers in Chicago broke ground on a soaring, twisting skyscraper designed by the renowned architect Santiago Calatrava. That project never really got off the ground though. So now organized labor is looking to use the tower as its own kind of stimulus project.

Southern California Edison's Solar Transmission Line Approved

(Solar Industry, Nov 30)

 Southern California Edison (SCE) has received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for the construction of the 128-mile, 500 kV Devers Palo-Verde No. 2 line, which is designed to deliver solar power to demand centers in Southern California.

The project was originally designed to extend into Arizona, but regulatory and economic pressures changed the plan to contain the line to California, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Current project plans include high-voltage transmission lines to bring power from Blythe, Calif., to Riverside County.

L.A. gets $60-million stimulus grant for 'smart grid' electric power system

(LA Times, November 24)

The federal government today awarded Los Angeles a $60-million grant to help modernize the city’s electrical power system. 

The money will be used for “smart grid" demonstration projects at USC and UCLA. The projects will allow the city’s Department of Water and Power, the largest municipal utility in the nation, to use advanced meters and other technology at the universities to chart how power is being consumed, forecast demand and potential outages, and seek ways to reduce energy use.

Carpool lanes open on 405 Fwy near LAX

(ABC7, November 16)

Traffic was flowing just a little bit better Monday on the San Diego Freeway near Los Angeles International Airport. The new carpool lane on the 405 northbound has opened up to traffic, between the 10 and 90 freeways. The southbound counterpart of the carpool lane opened last week. The HOV lane will eventually connect to the one currently under construction between the 10 and 101 freeways in the Sepulveda pass.

Metro Gold Line extension opens

(Los Angeles Times, November 16)

The latest light-rail line in Los Angeles County, running six miles from downtown L.A. through Boyle Heights and into East Los Angeles opened to the public on Sunday. The Eastside extension The Gold Line which runs from Pasadena to East L.A. cost $898 million to build. Construction began in 2004.