Another Colorado school district experiencing unprecedented growth, owing to its proximity to Denver, hopes to build a new elementary school to accommodate a recent unprecedented increase in enrollment. The Lewis-Palmer District 30 is based in the town of Monument, around 52 miles to the south of Denver. While Monument has seen its population quadruple in the last two decades, from just under 2,000 to more than 8,000 people, the school district’s enrollment has more than doubled during that same period of time. According to a study conducted earlier this year by a construction market information service called Metrostudy, the district is expected to add nearly 700 new students between now and 2024, as well as in excess of 1,500 students in the next decade. District officials have additionally noted that portable classrooms have recently been set up at one of the middle schools and several elementary schools to accommodate the enrollment increase. In response, members of the district’s Board of Education have approved putting on this November’s ballot a $29 million bond that will pay for the construction of an elementary school in the town’s Jackson Creek neighborhood. As planned, the new elementary school will be built on land owned by the district to the immediate west of the Bear Creek Elementary School at 1330 Creekside Drive. The Bear Creek facility was created to serve students from the former 60 year-old Grace Best Elementary School, which was closed in 2010. Once the new elementary school is built, the Bear Creek school will serve middle school students. Voters in the district last November rejected a $36 million school facility construction bond by a 66 to 34 percent margin. A later survey indicated that many district voters thought the ballot language for the 2018 was confusing and that the bond might be used for other purposes. This time, the ballot’s clear language specifically states that it is a “single purpose bond” for the building of a new elementary school. By Garry Boulard
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Not counting residential projects, the volume of construction starts nationally took a significant hit last month, dropping from $51.6 billion in August to $34.7 billion last month. According to the Cincinnati-based software service Construct Connect, the biggest reason for the drop is a decline in what are described as “mega-project” start-ups. “Whereas August featured 5 projects of a billion dollars or more each, totaling $18.7 billion,” reports the site, “September had only two such undertakings, combining for $2.3 billion.” The report also indicated that construction starts in September were down by 1.8 percent compared to September of 2018, but comparing this September’s numbers with an average of the last five Septembers going back to 2014 actually showed a 2.2 percent increase. Industries seeing the greatest drop in construction starts volume include hotels and motels, retail, laboratories, and amusement projects. Construction starts were up in the private office and parking garage segments. Construct Connect additionally notes an addition of around 7,000 new construction jobs in September, which, while still on the plus side, was noticeably lower than the more than 26,000 new jobs recorded in September 2018. At the same time, the national construction industry’s unemployment in September stood at a historically low 3.2 percent. That figure was also reached this past May, says the report, adding that it comprises the “lowest figure for construction’s unemployment rate this century.” By Garry Boulard Plans are now in the works for the construction of three new concrete basketball courts that will be built at the Joe Henry Optimist Center in Yuma, Arizona. That facility, located at 1793 S. 1st Avenue, is one of the busiest recreational venues in Yuma with youth practice fields, open play space, and and partly paid for by the Arizona Public Service Company and the Phoenix Suns basketball team, was unveiled in the spring of 2018. The new basketball court project at the center will also include the installation of rails and the use of fence fabric to be attached to existing posts. The center is located in Yuma’s older Mesa Heights neighborhood, which is defined by Department of Housing and Urban Development as a Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area. That designation allows the neighborhood greater flexibility when it comes to receiving federal economic development funds. The City of Yuma has now issued a Request for Proposals for the $104,000 basketball courts project with a submission deadline of October 31. By Garry Boulard Just over 17,600 acres of land belonging to the federal Bureau of Land Management in both northern and southern New Mexico may soon be open for new oil and gas drilling. The Bureau of Land Management has announced that it intends to sell leases to the lands in question this coming February 6. In Rio Arriba and Sandoval counties in northern New Mexico, a combined 1,750 acres will be available for leasing. In the southeast corner of the state in Eddy and Lea counties, the amount of land open for leasing comes to just over 14,000 acres. A public comment period specific to an environmental analysis of drilling in those areas will expire on October 28. A press release from the Bureau of Land Management notes that, “Revenues from onshore oil and gas production on federal lands directly funds the U.S. Treasury and state budgets, and supports public education, infrastructure improvements, and other state-determined priorities.” New drilling sites often prove a boon for construction companies with the need for the building of access roads, reserve pits, and well foundations, among other rig site preparations. By Garry Boulard Even though the era of large warehouses measuring more than 200,000 square feet continues unabated, some analysts say the need for smaller warehouse space is growing, largely because of the demands of e-commerce. Looking at what it calls the “push for faster delivery” of e-commerce goods, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that e-commerce companies are looking at smaller warehouse options, particularly near large urban population centers. Continues the paper: “More recently, businesses have been adding smaller fulfillment and distribution locations that put inventory closer to customers, who often expect items to be delivered in two days or less.” This means that such companies will increasingly be relying upon warehouses measuring 120,000 square feet or less. Not surprisingly, rents for smaller warehouse space in the last year have seen a 33 percent increase. At the same time, according to the CBRE Group, the availability of existing smaller warehouse facilities nationally has declined from 11 percent of the warehouse market in 2014 to around 7 percent today. But in an earlier report, the CBRE Group, which is based in Los Angeles and specializes in real estate services and investments, noted that much of the existing warehouse space is not up to current standards, with uneven floors, low ceilings, and inadequate docking. By Garry Boulard A new housing project that could see the construction of around four hundred housing units on currently vacant rural land could be going up on the east side of Lafayette, Colorado. Leaders in Boulder County have been trying to respond to the twin challenges of rapidly increasing rents and a rapidly increasing population. Average rents for a one-bedroom apartment in Lafayette now stand at more than $1,700 - nearly twice what they were 15 years ago. Meanwhile, Lafayette, roughly 23 miles to the north of Denver, continues to experience an increase in its population, from 24,000 in 2010 to nearly 30,000 today, making it one of the fastest-growing cities in Colorado. Now, officials with the Boulder County Housing Authority are proposing to build a new housing project at the intersection of E. Emma Street and 120th Street, with rents geared to area median income. As proposed, the 24-acre project will see the construction of 130 townhomes, 120 multi-family homes, and another 120 senior multi-family units. Besides the different style of housing units, as designed by the Boulder-based Coburn Architecture, the project will also include walking trails, dog parks, and a community center. What is being called the Willoughby Corner will see 20 percent of the housing units priced for those making anywhere between 60 and 120 percent of area median income, while a much larger 80 percent of the units will be exclusively for those earning 30 to 60 percent of area median income. The Boulder County Housing Authority has described the new project as a community of “diverse homes for families, seniors, our workforce, and others who are struggling with the high cost of housing in our community.” A preliminary plan for the project has won the approval of the Lafayette Planning Commission, with a final plan expected to be reviewed and voted upon later this year. By Garry Boulard In a move to help travelers pass the time more enjoyably, the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is contemplating the installation of a network entertainment broadcasting system. The system would provide a closed-circuit television network with a broadcast mission of providing programing relevant to air travelers, including news and local content information. The system would be available for passengers in the holding rooms of the airport’s big Terminals 3 and 4. The concept of such airport-specific broadcasting systems is becoming increasingly popular in the nation’s airports with one company, the Burbank, California-based Clear TV Media, providing programing for airports in Dallas, Denver, New Orleans, and Grand Rapids, among other cities. One of the largest airports in the country, the Sky Harbor saw more than 45 million passengers last year. A Request for Proposals was recently issued by the City of Phoenix’s Aviation Department. The project would include the design of the infrastructure, concept and programing, installation, and a management and/or operations plan. The deadline for submissions in response to the RFP is November 6. By Garry Boulard The U.S. has the world’s most competitive economy, says a report looking at the country’s labor market, market size, and macroeconomic stability, among other factors. The Global Competitiveness Report, published by the World Economic Forum, which is based in Cologny-Geneva, Switzerland, also lauded the U.S. for its innovation capability and business dynamism, noting that it is the “home to one of the most dynamic financial systems in the world.” Nevertheless, as regards its overall competitive climate, the report put the U.S. in second place behind Singapore, which received high marks for its infrastructure, health, and labor markets. The report added that Singapore’s city-state economy is “driven by its business-friendly regulatory environment, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and high levels of foreign investment.” The Global Competitiveness Report, which analyzes the economic metrics of just over 140 countries, is issued annually by the World Economic Forum. Its second place ranking this year for the U.S. is a drop from the first place scored by the U.S. in 2018, but still an improvement over the 7th place ranking America held in 2013, during the Great Recession. According to the report, among the other top country rankings were the Netherlands, Switzerland, Japan, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark. Countries receiving the lowest rankings were primarily based in Africa and Central America. In looking at the challenges facing all countries, the report asserts that while technology in general is obviously a good thing, it has also “impacted inequality by reducing demand for low-skilled jobs and rewarding high-skilled jobs disproportionately.” In order for all ranked countries to improve quality of life, the report suggests greater healthcare access, a more vigorous enforcement of antitrust policies, and increased funding for such “productivity-enhancing investments as education, infrastructure, and innovation.” By Garry Boulard Plans are advancing for the construction of what is being called an emergency homeless shelter in Albuquerque, which would include space for families and provide both clinic and support services. The project, as envisioned, would uniquely also include bike space and a dog run. As proposed by Mayor Tim Keller construction of the shelter - expected to cost around $14 million to build - would be funded by a substantially larger $128 million general obligation bond, which it is hoped city voters will approve in November. The funding for the new shelter is folded into a specific section of the $128 general obligation bond asking for a total of just over $21.7 million for city senior, community, and homeless facility projects. The shelter would provide temporary housing for up to 300 people and would also serve as a centralized 24-hour facility, providing counseling service. According to city documents the new shelter, open to men, women, and families, would also house administrative offices, separate men and women’s quarters, and two courtyards. The new shelter would be ultimately designed to replace an existing shelter located at 7440 Jim McDowell NW on the far west side of the city. Detractors have argued that because that shelter is nearly 20 miles away from downtown Albuquerque, it is too difficult to reach by those who need it. Plans currently call for both site selection and design work for the new facility to begin sometime next year. By Garry Boulard Just days after the Texas Supreme Court lifted an injunction against the further demolition of an historic El Paso neighborhood in order to make way for the construction of a multi-purpose arena, another court has stepped in to stop that demolition. Judge Patrick Garcia of the 384th Judicial District Court of El Paso County said that in issuing the temporary injunction, the court was trying to prevent damage done to an historic site that would be “permanent and irreplaceable.” The injunction, however, will only be in place until October 21, when a hearing will be held in the district court on the question of imposing a more permanent ban on demolition activity in the Duranguito neighborhood. The Judge’s order specifically mentioned the possible existence of Mescalero Apache remains that may still exist in the Duranguito area. According to Max Grossman, an associate professor of art history at the University of Texas at El Paso, the Mescalero Apaches lived in what were described as “peace camps” established by Spain in the Duranguito area in the late 18th century. There has as of yet been no official response from the City of El Paso regarding the District Court ruling. By Garry Boulard |
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