April - 2021

Apr 30, 2021
2 min

Phoenix Fifth Best City for Construction Workers in 2021

By Thomas O'Shaughnessy After hitting a 5-year low at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the construction industry is booming. An average of 135,500 building permits were issued in the months of Q1 2021, compared to only 96,000 in April of 2020, according to the Census. In spite of the pandemic, there were a total of 1,415,600 building permits issued in the U.S. in 2020: the highest number of building permits issued since 2007. As we enter a post-COVID world, it’s worth exam

Apr 29, 2021
2 min

Architect’s Perspective: Dennis C. Numkena, AIA: Use of Drama

By Douglas Sydnor Becoming a licensed architect is a challenging path requiring a minimum of eight years, including a professional architectural degree, a three-year internship, and passing the rigorous licensing examinations. So, it is impressive to learn of someone that overcame these hurdles who faced challenging circumstances growing up. Dennis C. Numkena, AIA, is an inspiring story who pursued his dream of becoming an architect. 1976 Pyramid Lake & Paiute Tribal Museum,

Apr 28, 2021
2 min

Suntec hires Will Novak as Director of Business Development

Suntec Concrete, the largest commercial concrete contractor in the Southwest, continues to grow its market segments and strategic networking throughout the region with the recent hiring of economic development expert Will Novak as Director of Business Development. Novak brings a strong track record of success in the public sector and business attraction to the 1400-employee firm that continues to grow in its regional markets. Based in Phoenix, Suntec also has regional offices

Apr 27, 2021
1 min

McShane Construction Company Underway with 310-Unit Multi-Family Development in North Tempe

McShane Construction Company is underway with construction on Banyan North Tempe on behalf of Banyan Residential and Milhaus. Located in Tempe, Arizona, the new multi-family development will offer 310 units across three four-story, garden-style buildings. The development is one of seven apartment communities that McShane is currently building in the greater Phoenix area. “Positioned at Miller and Curry Roads, Banyan North Tempe is an Opportunity Zone project located in a very

Apr 26, 2021
2 min

Antonya Williams Earns Promotion and National Appointment to McCarthy’s Executive Leadership Team

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is pleased to announce Antonya Williams was promoted to executive vice president and was also appointed to serve on the firm’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT). As executive vice president, Williams will continue to lead the Southwest region’s marketing and business development teams in Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico as well as national markets including water and renewable energy. In addition, as a new member of the firm’s ELT, she

Apr 22, 2021
2 min

777 Tower is First Building in Novus to Earn LEED Gold Certification

The 777 Tower, a six-story, 160,907 square-foot Class A mixed-use office building in the Novus Innovation Corridor (Novus) on the Tempe campus of Arizona State University (ASU), has been awarded LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). “A main tenet of the Novus Innovation Corridor is the project’s commitment to sustainability,” said Charlie Freericks, Senior Vice President at Catellus Development Corporation. “Novus will pursue LEED certifications

Apr 21, 2021
2 min

Willmeng Construction Breaks Ground on Fifth Avondale Fire Station

Avondale broke ground on a new fire station – the city’s fifth – at Van Buren Street and 127th Avenue. Designed by Perlman Architects of Arizona, and constructed by Willmeng Construction, the $12.5 million fire station will open in February 2022. When completed, the 17,000 square-foot Fire Station No. 175 will include three bays, office space and sleeping quarters, a kitchen/dining room, training room, exercise room, as well as a community room for public service outreach pr

Apr 20, 2021
2 min

Stevens-Leinweber Construction Selected to Build Chandler Connection

Marking its entry into the Phoenix industrial market, Denver-based Comunale Properties has selected Valley-based Stevens-Leinweber Construction (SLC) to build Chandler Connection, a 201,000-square-foot, Class A industrial building immediately adjacent to the Chandler Municipal Airport in Chandler, Arizona. Additional project team members selected by Comunale Properties (Comunale) include architect Butler Design Group and Ken McQueen and Chris McClurg from Lee & Associates, wh

Apr 19, 2021
1 min

NoSweat Keeps Hardworking Heads Dry and Fresh in Hard Hats

Construction, industrial workers, engineers, architects, often have to wear hard hats on the job. Laborious, active work and warm environments can leave workers drenched in sweat and with a smelly hat at the end of the day. NoSweat has created the first disposable performance liners specifically for hard hats that absorb sweat instantly while preventing odors, stains, acne and the constant need to stop and wipe up sweat with a towel or a shirt sleeve. NoSweat thin liners offe

Apr 16, 2021
4 min

Construction Techniques in the Bible

By Luke M. Snell Jesus’ sermons had many references to construction that were used to illustrate spiritual concepts. These are still understood because the construction concepts he mentioned are as relevant today as they were 2,000 years ago. Safety on the Construction Site: Luke 13:4 Safety has and will continue to be an issue on all construction sites. Jesus referred to an event in which 18 people died when the Tower of Siloam collapsed. He pointed out these were not bad pe

Apr 15, 2021
2 min

Chasse Builds Democracy Memorial in Tucson

By Alison Bailin Located in Tucson's El Presidio Park adjacent to the Historic Pima County Courthouse, the January 8th Memorial honors the victims and survivors of the tragedy that occurred on an unforgettable day in our community, state, and nation. “In 2011, a shooting occurred at Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' Congress on Your Corner event in Tucson that wounded 13 and killed six individuals who were participating in a fundamental act of democracy. The community came to

Apr 14, 2021
2 min

JOHNSON CARLIER COMPLETES CONSTRUCTION OF MOHAVE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT

Johnson Carlier, an Arizona-based general contractor, recently completed construction of the Mohave County Superior Court in downtown Kingman, AZ., a four-story, state-of-the-art facility that will serve citizens of the County for decades to come. The new 66,000-square-foot Superior Court building is located east of the existing courthouse, which was built in 1915. The two courthouses are now connected by an enclosed corridor, preserving the history and integrity of the exist

Apr 13, 2021
3 min

One CEO’s Take on Success in B2B Relationships

By Vincent Ney In my 25-year career in business, I have serviced a wide range of industries, professionals, and businesses. I have operated in both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) spaces, and have learned much about how to engage with different types of clients and their various needs. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of thinking that being in a B2B industry is less complicated than a B2C because your client intrinsically understands general busin

Apr 9, 2021
3 min

Accident analysis prompts revamp of MEWPs load & unload training

Information gathered in a worldwide project to report accidents and near-misses has informed a major update to a comprehensive training course on how to load and unload Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) and other plant equipment safely from trucks or trailers. The latest analysis of global data gathered by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) via www.ipaf.org/accident shows most accidents, resulting in lost-time injuries and even on occasion fatalities, du

Apr 8, 2021
2 min

Tucson’s Broadway Boulevard Getting Broader

The eastern gateway to Downtown Tucson is becoming more welcoming. Ashton Contractors & Engineers is in the midst of a 20-month project to widen Broadway Boulevard. The $26.6 million project will not only improve the roadway for motorists but make biking and walking easier along the major thoroughfare. Even the partners involved in the construction are taking advantage of the upgraded street. “Team Ashton and the City staff and consultant’s office are together in a historical

Apr 7, 2021
2 min

SACCD: Building Future Construction Crews

There’s one construction event that encourages the flouting of child labor laws. The sixth annual Southern Arizona Construction Career Days in 2019 attracted more than 3,000 students from 85 schools to pound a few nails, drill a few screws, and unlock some engineering puzzles. “Each student gets a hands-on experience with being able to operate equipment, hands-on building, and developing relationships with industry professionals,” Ramon Gaanderse, president and event founder,

Apr 6, 2021
1 min

Back When: Cudia City’s Celluloid Sendoff

By Douglas Towne #CudiaCity #DouglasTowne To read the rest of this article, you are invited to purchase the digital issue here. This article originally appeared in the bimonthly Arizona Contractor & Community magazine, Mar/Apr 2021 issue, Vol. 10, No. 2.

Apr 5, 2021
3 min

Chasse Set to Build John S. McCain III Elementary School in Buckeye

By Alison Bailin Local dignitaries and special guest, Mrs. Cindy McCain, gathered at the site of the Buckeye Elementary School District’s newest school on November 4 to celebrate the official groundbreaking for its 9th school, John S. McCain III Elementary. This state-of-the-art school has been designed by the Orcutt Winslow Architecture Firm and is being constructed by the Chasse Building Team. It is scheduled to open to students in August of 2021. The school will be located

Apr 2, 2021
2 min

Impacts of the Suez Canal Blockage on the Construction Industry

The six-day saga of the Ever Given came to an end on the afternoon of Monday, March 29, when the 1,300-foot cargo ship was finally dislodged from the banks of the Suez Canal. However, with over 300 ships waiting for passage through the Canal, the impacts on international shipping are predicted to last months and the costs to global trade have been estimated at over $50 billion. Eric Ruzicka is a partner at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney in commercial litigation

Apr 1, 2021
2 min

Faciliteq Completes Five55 Melrose in Phoenix: Former Racquetball Club Becomes COVID-Friendly

Faciliteq, a leading workplace solution provider in the Southwest, is set to open its newest adaptive reuse project in November. Developed with sister company BWIQ (Build With IQ), the Five55 Melrose building (555 W. Turney Ave., Phoenix) transforms a former neighborhood fitness center into a modern co-working environment designed with the post-COVID world in mind. Five55 Melrose was built in 1977 as a fitness center and racquetball club that served midtown Phoenix for 30 yea

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