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India-based IL&FS Engineering and Construction Company has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for the implementation of an INIR675bn ($101M) road project in Bihar, India.The scope of the project involves the rehabilitation and upgrade of the Birpur-Bihpur Section of the NH-106 in the state of Bihar, under Phase-I of the National Highways Development Project (NHDP). The construction firm has received the letter of acceptance from MoRTH in December 2015, but the agreement was only signed in July 2016.The project will be executed on an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis and have a duration of 36 months. Work on the project will start immediately.IL&FS Engineering Services is also working on the Patna Gaya Dobhi Section of the NH-83 in Bihar for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Holliday Fenoglio Fowler (HFF) has secured a $233.3M construction loan from the Bank of the Ozarks for the development of an office tower in Chicago, Illinois.HFF worked on behalf of the developer, The John Buck Company, to place the construction loan with the bank.The Class A+, 35-storey building — located at 151 North Franklin in Chicago’s West Loop — will be the new world headquarters of insurance firm CNA, as well as the new national headquarters of international law firm Hinshaw & Culbertson. Upon completion, the tower will feature 75,000sq m of rentable space and an attached parking garage, in addition to the 34 lower-level parking stalls. The building will also include a 390sq m rooftop terrace with bar, 929sq m of landscaped exterior courtyards, a fitness centre, 250-seat conference centre, restaurant, bike room and café.Designed by John Ronan Architects and Adamson Associates, the LEED Gold-certified building is currently under construction and will be completed in mid-2018.
US-based engineering services provider Fluor has won a $501M contract from Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG) for a bauxite production expansion project in Kamsar, Guinea.Under the contract, Fluor will provide engineering, procurement and construction management services for the project.The scope of the project includes the expansion of bauxite production from 14.5M to 18.5M t annually. It will also involve the expansion of the mine infrastructure, rail system, port facility and processing plant. The project represents the company’s first of a planned three-phase expansion. Fluor has been involved in the project since its early stages executing the feasibility study and early engineering.Rick Koumouris, president of Fluor’s mining & metals business, said: “Fluor has worked with CBG to develop a capital-efficient solution that combines delivery predictability and flexibility for maintenance and future expansions.“Given the project’s location and unique logistical challenges, Fluor will bring unmatched technical and execution expertise, as well as the requisite Guinea experience, to deliver this project safely, on schedule and on budget.”The expansion project is expected to be completed in 2018.
Brookfield Multiplex has been selected as the managing contractor for a $428.3M museum project in Western Australia.The New Museum, designed by architects OMA and Hassell, will be almost four times bigger than the now-closed Western Australia Museum, which it will replace. It will feature nearly 7,000sq m of galleries, including 1,000sq m of space to stage blockbuster exhibitions.It will also feature education studios, viewing areas to see scientists and curators at work, retail space and food and beverage outlets.Premier Colin Barnett said: "The concept cannot fail to impress. It is bold and distinctive, from the vast public plaza to spacious galleries that overlook the CBD and link with important heritage buildings."West Australians will share in a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a vibrant new cultural home in the heart of Perth, and to change the way people from around the world engage with the State and our unique stories."The project will create up to 3,300 jobs, with about 1,800 workers to be employed on-site during the construction phase.Early works are expected to start in late 2016, with main construction commencing in 2017. The museum is due to open in 2020.
Turkey-based Limak Construction has won a €224M contract for the construction of a subway line in the Ukrainian city of Dnipropetrovsk.The 4.5km subway line will run southeast from the current terminus of Vokzalna into the city centre.The contract will include the construction of stations at Teatralna, Tsentralna and Muzeina. The Tsentralna station is scheduled to open ahead of the other two, as it is expected to have the highest passenger numbers.Construction is set to start in September 2016 and will be completed within five years.
Mercedes-Benz has unveiled plans to build a new €1bn plant in Kecskemét, Hungary.The new facility, to be the second at the company’s Hungarian site, will produce front- and rear-wheel-drive cars and will feature a body shop, paint shop, final assembly and a supplier park. Markus Schäfer, member of the divisional board at Mercedes-Benz Cars, said: “In the next few years, we plan to invest around €1bn in building a new plant at our site in Kecskemét.“We will establish a state-of-the-art and efficient production facility, in which different vehicle architectures will roll off the assembly line flexibly.“With this highly modern ‘flex-plant’, we will create additional capacity along with the necessary flexibility according to Industry 4.0 benchmark approaches allowing us to react quickly and future-oriented to the market needs. Our company strengthens its competitiveness.” The investment will create about 2,500 new jobs at the site as well as additional jobs at suppliers in the region and in German plants. Preparatory works will start this year, with production expected for the end of the decade.
China Horse Club affiliate DSH Caribbean Star has signed an agreement with the government of Saint Lucia to develop a $2.6bn resort and lifestyle complex on the island.The project, named The ‘Pearl of the Caribbean’, will be located on a 700-acre site.It will include a marina, racecourse, resort and shopping mall complex, casino, Free Trade Zone, extensive entertainment and leisure facilities, eco-tourism as well as architecturally-designed villas and apartments.China Horse Club believes that the project is expected to play a lead role in the development of a new horse industry in Saint Lucia. The development, when completed, will accommodate more than 1,000 racehorses and have the capacity to hold racing carnivals.Construction on the development’s initial phase is set to begin in 2017 and create between 500-800 construction jobs.
Construction firm Al Futtaim Carillion has been selected as the preferred tenderer for the construction of the $1bn Reem Mall project in Abu Dhabi.The project, developed by NREC in partnership with UPAC, will deliver 186,000sq m of leasable area. It will feature about 450 stores, including 85 food and beverage outlets and a range of family-focused entertainment offerings. Reem Mall is set to discuss the contract details with Al Futtaim Carillion exclusively, with the aim of finalising an agreement for the mall’s construction.Abu Dhabi-based Dutch Foundation is currently carrying out the enabling works, which involves excavation, lateral restraint systems, and dewatering. Reem Mall’s chief operating officer Shane Eldstrom said: “The announcement marks yet another milestone for Reem Mall and comes on the back of final permission to construct received from Abu Dhabi Municipality earlier this month.“Al Futtaim Carillion was selected as the preferred tenderer due to its strong track record of delivering significant high quality projects in the region, and its team of construction experts. We look forward to successfully completing the tendering process.”Al Futtaim Carillion’s managing director Andrew Ridley-Barker said: “Al Futtaim Carillion prides itself on delivering some of the most notable projects in the region. We hope to have the process concluded shortly and deliver this important retail project to the people of Abu Dhabi.”
Alliant Energy is set to invest about $1bn to expand its wind energy operations in Iowa, USA.The company’s Iowa utility is seeking regulatory approval to expand its Whispering Willow Wind Farm in Franklin County and develop wind energy in other areas of the state.The five-year project will add up to 500MW of annual clean energy capacity. Alliant Energy is targeting a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions from 2005 to 2030.Doug Kopp, the company's president of Iowa utility, said: “Our customers expect low-cost, clean energy, which is exactly what this project will bring to the communities we serve.“Wind has no fuel costs and zero emissions, making it a win-win for Iowans and the Iowa economy.”The new wind project will create more than 1,500 construction jobs in the region.
UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) has approved a senior debt of £80M for the construction of a new energy from waste combined heat and power (CHP) facility near Sittingbourne in Kent, UK.The £340M facility is expected to generate up to 154GWh of renewable energy annually — enough to power 37,500 homes.The 43MW plant is also expected to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 163,000t annually and eliminate around 0.5M t of waste going to landfill.Upon completion, it will supply renewable electricity to the grid and renewable heat to DS Smith’s Kemsley Paper Mill.GIB CEO Shaun Kingsbury said: “This plant will put renewable energy to work for one of Kent’s major employers while helping the UK meet its climate change and waste management goals.“Combined heat and power is a prominent feature of the low-carbon energy infrastructure in mainland Europe and Scandinavia and is one of the key technologies that can help British industry become more efficient, competitive and cleaner.”The project developer Wheelabrator Technologies has received over £300M of debt so far from a lending club that includes GIB alongside Barclays, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU), Natixis and Investec.The facility will create about 500 construction jobs and around 40 full-time operational jobs upon completion. The plant is anticipated to be operational in 2019.
SapuraKencana TL Offshore has won a MYR510M ($125M) contract for the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) offshore Dardanelles Strait in the Sea of Marmara.The company, a subsidiary of Malaysia's SapuraKencana Petroleum, will be responsible for the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of offshore pipelines and fibre optic cables for TANAP. SapuraKencana’s president and group CEO Shahril Shamsuddin said: “This contract win demonstrates that our transformation and strategies are continuing to enhance our competitiveness globally.“Our cost reduction efforts and increased operational effectiveness have driven this enhanced competitiveness that has helped us to secure our latest wins in Mexico and TANAP, both totalling just under RM1bn. These wins will contribute positively to the group’s performance.”The project is set to start in the third quarter of 2016 and will be completed in the third quarter of 2018.TANAP is a natural gas pipeline project that connects the continents of Europe and Asia, to supply natural gas from the Southern Gas Corridor project in Azerbaijan through Georgia and Turkey to Europe.
US-based home improvement retailer Lowe's Companies has unveiled plans to develop a new $100M direct fulfilment centre in Robertson County, Tennessee.The 102,000sq m centre will ship parcels directly to Lowe’s customers and stores nationwide.Lowe’s chief supply chain officer Brent Kirby said: “We’re continually working to make doing business with Lowe’s easier for customers.“Investing to build a new fulfilment centre — the first of its kind for Lowe’s — allows us to offer customers more products online, consolidate multiple parcel shipments and ship purchases directly to customers faster and more efficiently.“The Nashville area was chosen due to its existing large shipping hubs, access to interstate roadways and well-skilled workforce.”Scheduled to be operational by the third quarter of 2018, the facility will initially employ about 400 people, reaching 600 by 2022.
Hillwood Communities has started construction on its new $500M master-planned community in Celina, Texas.The development — located on a 400-acre site at the northeast corner of FM 1461 and Coit Road — will include 1,250 single-family homes featuring resort-style amenities, and a linear park with an amenity centre, including a resort style pool, pavilion and outdoor kitchen.It will also feature 63 acres of green space with multiple community parks and several miles of trails.Hillwood Communities’ senior vice president Elaine Ford said: “Celina is a booming city in North Dallas, and we are excited to partner with them and local vendors to bring jobs and businesses along with more residents here.“The groundbreaking of Lilyana is an exciting step for us, and we look forward to beginning the development of a first class community for potential residents.”The first phase of the development will be completed in early 2017.
UK-based construction firm McAleer & Rushe has secured planning consent from Belfast City Council for the second phase of its Bedford Square development in Northern Ireland.The development’s second phase will include the construction of a new 17-storey office building, providing 17,000sq m of grade A office space, and the renovation of the listed William Ewart building to create a further 3,000sq m of space.The company is now in negotiations with potential office occupiers for phase two of Bedford Square, with work expected to commence on site in the near future.McAleer & Rushe property director Stephen Surphlis said: “This planning approval is a welcome boost to the Belfast office market, with the second phase of Bedford Square bringing a landmark building back into active use after many years of vacancy and helping to alleviate the shortage of grade A space in the city.“The first phase of Bedford Square has been a great success and we now have the opportunity to complete the vision with the creation of much-needed business space and new public realm which, together with our Maldron Hotel and QUB student accommodation developments on the adjoining Brunswick Street site, will make a huge contribution to the regeneration of Belfast’s Linen Quarter and this part of the city.”The first phase of the project was completed in 2006 and is home to Invest Northern Ireland’s headquarters.
Mercedes-Benz Vans has started construction of a new $500M plant in North Charleston, South Carolina.The new plant is an expansion of the existing 409,000sq ft van assembly site, which will cover around an additional 112,000sq m along with a 260,000sq m marshalling yard for finished vehicles.Mercedes-Benz Vans’ head of operations Frank Klein said: "Our new Sprinter plant is a big leap into the future of production at Mercedes-Benz Vans. "We are combining all of our global expertise and experience in this plant. In doing so, we make it one of the most advanced facilities in North America. The plant will meet the highest standards in quality, based on our globally standardized production system — from the first vehicle that rolls off the assembly line."The facility is scheduled to commence production before the end of the decade and create 1,300 jobs in the region.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission has awarded a $755M contract to Dragados Team joint venture for the construction of a new parallel tunnel at the Thimble Shoal Channel.The new tunnel will be around one mile in length, and will have an outer diameter of 42ft. Construction work is set to commence in late 2017, with the renovation of the Island 1 fishing pier.
American football team Minnesota Vikings has selected the development team for its new Eagan practice facility and headquarters in Minnesota, US.The team includes Crawford Architects, which will provide design services, and Kraus-Anderson Construction Company, which will act as the construction manager of the project.The new team headquarters will feature outdoor and indoor practice fields, a 6,000-seat stadium, team meeting rooms and auditorium, a broadcast studio and media centre, and administrative offices for staff.The facility represents the first phase in an overall 200-acre planned development, which is expected to include offices, retail, residential and hospitality units and a conference centre.Vikings’ executive vice president and CFO Steve Poppen said: “We are thrilled to once again engage in a large project with a Minnesota-based construction company such as Kraus-Anderson, as they have a tremendous body of work and strong reputation within the community.“Both Crawford Architects and Kraus-Anderson have long-standing relationships with the Vikings and together give us complete confidence in designing and building this project on time for a March 2018 opening.”The project is scheduled to break ground in early August 2016. Construction work on the first phase is expected to be completed in about 20 months.
US-based Granite Construction has secured a $128M contract from the California Department of Transportation for the State Route 99 realignment project in Fresno, California. Under the contract, Granite will act as construction manager and general contractor for the project, which includes the construction of a reconfigured interchange, overhead structures and infrastructure, to accommodate the high-speed rail system between the existing freeway and the Union Pacific Railroad.The project also includes the re-routing of local streets to accommodate the realigned freeway and relocation of utilities to support the project. The California High Speed Rail Authority has provided financing for the project, which is scheduled to be complete by September 2018.
Tata Steel Minerals Canada (TSMC) has secured CAD175M ($133M) in financing from the government of Quebec, Canada to support the implementation of a direct shipping iron ore project (DSO project) in Schefferville.The financial contribution includes equity stake of CAD125M ($94.7M) through the Capital Mining Hydrocarbons Fund and a loan of $50M ($37.8M) from Investissement Québec, acting as an agent of the government.Quebec’s deputy premier Lise Thériault said: "The support for this important project confirms our commitment to stimulate the growth of the Quebec mining industry, particularly in the Northern parts of Quebec, and encourage the responsible exploitation of our resources."In addition, this project will have significant benefits for our economy, creating up to 550 quality jobs in Quebec."TSMC has invested more than CAD1bn ($758M) in the project.
London City Airport has secured a planning consent for a £344M expansion project that will enable the airport to welcome 6.5M passengers by 2025.The project includes construction of seven new aircraft stands, a parallel taxiway and passenger terminal extension.It is believed that the expansion project will allow the airport to welcome quieter, next-generation aircraft and add more capacity. The airport will also be able to add about 32,000 extra flights by 2025, and the expansion will open up opportunities for airlines to serve longer-haul destinations including the Middle East, Turkey, Russia and the east coast of the US.London City Airport’s CEO Declan Collier said: “Expansion at London City Airport will create more than 2,000 new jobs in East London, add much-needed aviation capacity in the South East, and generate an additional £750M per year for the UK economy. I welcome the decision and look forward to delivering new airport capacity for the South East by 2019.”The project will create 500 construction jobs and 1,600 jobs upon completion.
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