OSHA fines NY contractor $85K after worker dies from fall

Fall protection violations are once again at the top of OSHA’s Top 10 job site violations for 2015.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 8, 2015

Contractor sues organic farm over alleged $1M in unpaid bills

The contractor also alleged that the lender on the project, Orange County Trust, failed to verify that contractors and suppliers were being paid.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 8, 2015

Boldt hired to examine delayed CA hospital project

The selection of a new contractor is the latest chapter in the controversy-filled saga of the Valley Medical Center.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 8, 2015

CA renewable energy bill likely to trigger construction boom

The governor has signed the bill, which changes the state's previous goals of 33% renewable energy by 2030 to 50%, along with a 50% increase in existing building energy efficiency. 

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 8, 2015

Business groups urge HI Gov. to push Mauna Kea telescope construction forward

Protestors promise to continue to block progress on the Thirty Meter Telescope for as long as construction plans continue.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 7, 2015

Contractor, bank battle for remaining PA museum construction funds

The contractor's lawyer said the Susquehanna Art Museum and Fulton Bank should take their fight over money elsewhere and pay contractor JEM Group the $1.2 million left for its work.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 7, 2015

LA contractor faces fraud charges for allegedly stealing from elderly clients

The state's Attorney General’s office is also conducting an investigation into the owner for alleged mortgage fraud.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 7, 2015

Episode II: Attack of the Lucas Museum opponents

Chicago nonprofit Friends of the Park has filed an updated lawsuit in its effort to stop the "Star Wars" filmmaker's plans to build a 300,000-square-foot museum on the Lake Michigan shoreline.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 6, 2015

MD school board blames prevailing wage law for $9.2M cost overrun

That increase is part of a total cost overrun of approximately $17 million for the construction of Frederick High School.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 6, 2015

SolarCity factory project exceeds minority hiring goals

The mayor of Buffalo said the construction hiring numbers are a good sign that SolarCity will continue its practices when employment triples at the site over the next few months.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 6, 2015

Contractor refuses to refund INDOT for crumbling asphalt

Indiana highway contractor Brooks Construction said the transportation department's specifications are to blame for the state's asphalt problems.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 5, 2015

OSHA fines TX contractors $47K for worker's death

An OSHA spokesperson called the fatality at the New Braunfels, TX, job site "heartbreaking" and "totally avoidable."

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 2, 2015

CT contractor sentenced to 2 years in prison for stealing from elderly couple

The couple paid Pablo Miraballes more than $32,000 for work on their home, but construction experts told police the work was substandard and should only have cost between $10,000 and $12,000.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 2, 2015

MO city proposes tiny-house-friendly building codes

Seneca, MO, hopes to capitalize on the microliving trend and encourage new residents to move to the city.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 2, 2015

NYC revokes contractor's license for unpaid fines in 'unprecedented' move

Contractor MRMD has said it is being unfairly targeted by the city and has filed a formal protest in an attempt to get its contractor's license back.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 1, 2015

Apple store project plagued by contractor, union controversies

A contractor on the San Francisco project, Build Group, has filed a $5.2 million lien for nonpayment, and union workers are up in arms about Apple's hiring practices.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 1, 2015

Congress votes to fund construction of mismanaged VA hospital

The Aurora, CO, project has been plagued with delays and cost overruns of more than $1 billion.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 1, 2015

CFMA report: Contractors not always at fault in public project disputes

The author of the study, which tracked 107 litigated cases between federal agencies and contractors, said it should encourage both contractors and federal officials to improve communication at all stages of a project.

By Emily Peiffer • Sept. 30, 2015

Catellus alleges Lennar used unfair lobbying practices in attempt to win $6B Bay Area project

"We know their consultants, some of which are out of state, donated to the mayor's campaign," said Ted Antenucci, CEO of Catellus. 

By Deborah Barrington • Sept. 29, 2015

NYC mayor introduces 'retrofit accelerator' to cut building emissions

The announcement was part of Bill de Blasio's "One City Built to Last" initiative, which outlined measures to retrofit all city-owned buildings by 2025.

By Deborah Barrington • Sept. 29, 2015

INDOT demands $5.15M from highway contractor for crumbling asphalt

Brooks Construction is the first contractor the department has held financially responsible since reporting that there could be as much as $71 million worth of faulty asphalt used in 188 state road projects.

By Kim Slowey • Sept. 28, 2015

MN contractor under federal investigation for fraud in alleged construction bond scheme

Investigators claim that Gerard Roy forged bond documents in order to win public projects and employ people he met in prison.

By Kim Slowey • Sept. 28, 2015

OSHA fines MT contractors $151K for cave-in hazard violations

Officials said the incident reflects the need for heightened attention on safety concerns for temporary construction workers.  

By Emily Peiffer • Sept. 25, 2015

'Day of reckoning' costs contractors American Bridge/Fluor millions for Bay Bridge problems

The penalties were the result of 32 rods on its seismic stabilizers snapping — which delayed the 2013 opening of the bridge's new eastern span.

By Deborah Barrington • Sept. 25, 2015

Report: Inclusionary housing rules don't increase market-rate prices

Findings from a Massachusetts think tank defy claims by many builders and developers who say affordable housing mandates will translate to even higher housing prices.

By Deborah Barrington • Sept. 24, 2015