ANAHEIM CALIFORNIA BUILDING CONSULTANT
DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

Connecticut Reverses Course for Construction Managers on School Projects

August 05, 2024 — Anand Gupta - Construction Law Zone Blog
On June 6, 2024, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 24-151 (H.B. 5524) (Bill 5524). Bill 5524 authorized and adjusted bonds of the state and provisions related to state and municipal tax administration, as well as addressed school building projects. Notably, Bill 5524 removed the ban on construction managers self-performing work on public school construction projects, effective July 1, 2024. Allowing construction managers to self-perform certain portions of the work, such as general trades, subject to the standard bidding requirements, is a common industry practice that, theoretically, reduces total project costs by reducing the amount of subcontracted work. However, proponents of banning self-performance argue that construction managers have too much information to bid fairly and competitively. Reprinted courtesy of Anand Gupta, Robinson+Cole Mr. Gupta may be contacted at agupta@rc.com Read the full story...

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A Chicago Skyscraper Cements the Legacy of a Visionary Postmodern Architect

December 31, 2024 — Mark Byrnes - Bloomberg
A handsome and eclectic stretch of buildings along Michigan Avenue known as “Chicago’s Front Door” offers a view that reflects the city’s status as a destination for serious architecture. Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler’s Auditorium Building, where a young Frank Lloyd Wright designed interiors, is right there on Grant Park; so is Daniel Burnham’s Railway Exchange, where he drew up the 1909 Plan of Chicago. Now a glass-and-aluminum apartment tower anchors the southern end of this scene, filling in a rare gap within this landmarked streetwall and putting a bow on the career of another heroic figure in Chicago’s architectural history: Helmut Jahn. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Mark Byrnes, Bloomberg

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The Ghosts of Tariffs Past May Help Us in the Future

January 07, 2025 — Kellie Ros - ConsensusDocs
The havoc material tariffs have caused the construction industry is nothing new. President-Elect Donald Trump imposed heavy tariffs on steel and aluminum in his first administration in 2016. While the tariffs themselves were not wholly unexpected, the ripple effect of those tariffs (coupled with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic) caused unexpected challenges for the construction industry. Those included allocating the risk of the additional costs caused by tariffs, supply and demand issues, grappling with escalation clauses, and navigating fixed price projects. The industry must now utilize the lessons learned from the rear-view mirror to strategically prepare for what was promised to be a second round of tariffs come January 2025. Tariffs’ Impacts on Material Prices Everywhere New or increased tariffs have the potential to raise prices for a wide range of construction inputs. Based on simple supply and demand principles, this includes inputs produced domestically that compete with foreign imports. For example, if a 20% tariff is imposed on Chinese steel, contractors may look to procure Brazil or U.S. steel in an effort to cut their costs. Such a rush to those less-costly alternatives may result in a supply shortage or an increase in prices in the marketplace across the globe. This occurred in 2016 when material prices indirectly related to the inputs on which the tariffs were imposed even increased. Contractors may be well served to get ahead of anticipated price increases and purchase materials now or take other actions in negotiating contracts to protect themselves. Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Kellie Ros, Peckar & Abramson, P.C.
Ms. Ros may be contacted at kros@pecklaw.com

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New York Bridge to Be Largest Infrastructure Project in North America

Million-Dollar Home Sales Thrive While Low End Stumbles

Facts about Chinese Drywall in Construction

Considerations in Obtaining a Mechanic’s Lien in Maryland (Don’t try this at home)

The Risks and Rewards of Sustainable Building Design

The Pandemic, Proposed Federal Privacy Regulation and the CCPA

California Booms With FivePoint New Schools: Real Estate

The Small Stuff: Small Claims Court and Limited Civil Court Jurisdictional Limits

Acord Certificates of Liability Insurance: What They Don’t Tell You Can Hurt You

CFTC Establishes Climate-Risk Unit, Echoing Other Biden Administration Agency Themes

Minnesota Supreme Court Dismisses Vikings Stadium Funding Lawsuit

It Ain’t Over Till it’s Over. Why Project Completion in California Isn’t as Straightforward as You Think

More Details Emerge in Fatal Charlotte, NC, Scaffold Collapse

A Reminder to Get Your Contractor’s License in Virginia

The Latest News on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Defense Owed for Product Liability Claims That Do Not Amount to Faulty Workmanship

Rhode Island District Court Dismisses Plaintiff’s Case for Spoliation Due to Potential Unfair Prejudice to Defendant

Construction Defects could become Issue in Governor’s Race

Appellate Division Confirms Summary Judgment in Favor of Property Owners in Action Alleging Labor Law Violations

Eight Things You Need to Know About the AAA’s New Construction Arbitration Rules

The Rise Of The Improper P2P Tactic

Question of Parties' Intent Prevents Summary Judgment for Insurer

After More than Two Years, USDOT Rejects WSDOT’s Recommendation to Reinstate Non-Minority Women-Owned DBEs into DBE Participation Goals

MetLife Takes Majority Stake in New San Francisco Office Tower

Don’t Ignore a Notice of Contest of Lien

Do Not Lose Your Mechanics Lien Right Through a Subordination Agreement

Construction Attorneys Get an AI Assist in Document Crunch

New York's New Gateway: The Overhaul of John F. Kennedy International Airport

The 2024 Colorado Legislative Session Promises to be a Busy One for the Construction Industry and its Insurers

SEC Climate Change Disclosure Letter Foreshadows Anticipated Regulatory Changes

Australian Developer Denies Building Problems Due to Construction Defects

A “Flood” of Uncertainty; Massachusetts SJC Finds Policy Term Ambiguous

Calling Hurricanes a Category 6 Risks Creating Deadly Confusion

The Importance of the Subcontractor Exception to the “Your Work” Exclusion

You Are on Notice: Failure to Comply With Contractual Notice Provisions Can Be Fatal to Your Claim

Housing Starts in U.S. Little Changed From Stronger January

Following California Law, Federal Court Adopts Horizontal Allocation For Asbestos Coverage

Can an Owner Preemptively Avoid a Mechanics Lien?

Tarriffs, a Pandemic and War: Construction Contracts Must Withstand the Unforeseeable