Industry Watch

• Construction supervisors may face charges in NYC firefighter deaths
  Prosecutors may press manslaughter charges against a subcontractor and three construction supervisors in the deaths of two firefighters in 2007 at the Deutsche Bank building in New York City. Asbestos was being removed from the building, which was scheduled for demolition, when a fire broke out. The building's fire exits had been sealed off and the sprinkler system had been dismantled. New York City will not be indicted, despite its failure to safeguard the building. The New York Times (free registration) (12/21)

• After demolition, expansion of Ind. convention center to start in Jan.
  Construction crews on Saturday imploded the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Explosives were set on four levels, in 875 different places. Construction to expand the city's convention center will start at the north edge of the site next month. Officials say it will take four months to clean up the debris from the demolition. MSNBC/WTHR-TV (Indianapolis) (12/22)

• $200M project approved in Tempe, Ariz.
  The City Council in Tempe, Ariz., and the Tempe Development Review Commission have approved a $200 million mixed-use development proposed by SAXA and Triyar Cos. Construction on the University Square project will start in the third quarter of next year and is expected to add hundreds of jobs. The project will include a hotel and retail and restaurant space. CoStar Group (12/19)

• California panel endorses dams, canal to restore delta
  Advisers to the governor of California have endorsed a plan that calls for new dams and a canal that will funnel water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Funding has not been established for the project, which could cost up to $7.2 billion for the canal and up to $9.6 billion for the channels through the delta. Meanwhile, the Bush administration ordered state and federal officials to cut the amount of water pumped from the delta to save a native fish from extinction. Daily Commercial News (12/19)

• Construction cleared for Virgin Galactic spaceport
  The FAA has approved Virgin Galactic's plan to start construction on a spaceport in Las Cruces, N.M. The company's SpaceShipTwo/White Knight launch system will take travelers on suborbital flights. Spaceport America will also be licensed for vertical and horizontal takeoffs. Gizmodo (12/18)

• Other News

• Arizona identifies $10B in projects under proposed economic-stimulus plan
  The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (12/21)

• Study: New medical school could bring $7.6B and 30,000 jobs to Fla. over 10 years
  Orlando Sentinel (Fla.) (12/20)

• Want to make it easier for your vendors to view and respond to your projects? • Wish you could make sure all your invitations to bid are delivered? • Spending too much time faxing and phoning your vendors? BB-Bid can help. Click here to improve your Communication Management TODAY!

Market Update

• Developers seek rescue package as commercial mortgages coming due
  Some of the nation's largest property developers are asking the federal government to set up a program that would increase lending to commercial real estate. The group says that commercial mortgages coming due pose a threat to the global financial system. About $160 billion will come due in the next year. Officials have said they will consider including commercial real estate in a $200 billion plan aimed at salvaging the market for car loans, student loans and credit card debt. The Wall Street Journal (12/22)

• Illegal immigrants make up sizable percentage of construction industry
  Illegal immigrants make up about 14% of construction workers in the U.S., according to Pew Hispanic Center. Other studies estimate that the percentage of illegal workers in the construction industry is as much as 36%. Meanwhile, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently announced it will prosecute employers of illegal immigrants. Mondaq (free registration) (12/19)

Having trouble managing fragmented planning and performance data? Learn how Tekla Structures for Construction Management helps to plan, communicate and manage project information using the latest in Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology during our FREE December 16th webinar.

Product Innovation & Technology

• Alloy used in dental braces may lead to stronger buildings
  An alloy used in dental braces may help scientists in India develop technology to help buildings resist damage during earthquake. They have found that Nitinol alloy resists permanent deformations from strain energy during earthquakes. "The properties observed in the material allow developing devices for seismic protection of structures," said K. Muthumani, a scientist working on the project at Structural Engineering Research Centre at Chennai. The Statesman (India)/Press Trust of India (12/21)

Featured Content

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by AGC SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Construction industry braces for slowdown in 2009 (The Washington Post)

• Government seeks contractors to build high-speed rail (The Washington Times)

• Structural problems cited at Indiana hotel (The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Ind.))

• Cost of construction materials drops 3.2% in November (Reed/ACP Construction Data)

• Interest groups eager for piece of infrastructure plan (The Boston Globe)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

	The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) Economic Podcast & White Paper For many companies preserving capital is essential to continue to grow in these tough economic times. ModSpace specializes in providing space solutions to businesses looking for a more cost-effective way to expand. To learn more, visit our Economic Resource Center. Interested in learning more about advertising in the AGC SmartBrief? Contact Jim Pataki at (202) 737-5500 x273 or jpataki@smartbrief.com.

News From Washington

• Other News

• Obama boosts job-creation plan for economic recovery
  The New York Times (12/20)

• Obama envisions bold economic-recovery package: President-elect Barack Obama and his supporters hope to have an economic-stimulus package in place early next year. The value of the plan could reach $850 billion, according to some aides, but Obama declined to put a price tag on the package. "I'm not going to give you a number because we're still making these evaluations," Obama said Friday. Vice President-elect Joe Biden argued Sunday that the stimulus is needed to keep the economy from "absolutely tanking." Chicago Sun-Times/The Associated Press (12/20)

Association News

• Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices Parts 1, 5 & 6
  This book is a must-have for contractors involved in highway construction. The Federal Highway Administration has totally revised the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices Parts 1, 5 and 6 Temporary Traffic Control, and you are required to know about and meet these new specifications. This manual will help you meet those requirements. Perfect bound, 7 by 9 inches, over 285 pages, 2003 Edition. To purchase copies visit www.agc.org/bookstore, item #3509.

• Marketing Your Firm: A Proven Process for Contractors
  This information-packed CD-ROM includes eight hours of quality marketing training guaranteed to help you position your firm to get the business you want. Marketing Your Firm will help you develop an actionable marketing plan and includes interviews with AGC contractors, plus realistic case studies. As an added benefit, the software allows the user to save the newly developed components of your marketing plan, creating one convenient place for other employees to easily access and reference it. 2003. To purchase copies, visit www.agc.org/bookstore, keyword "Marketing."

SmartQuote

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: If we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." --Anne Bradstreet, poet