Amid Downturn, Las Vegas Still on a Roll

Despite a downturn in real estate markets coupled with foreboding economic indicators, investors are still betting on developments in Las Vegas, Nev. At least for now, a roster of mega-projects keeps tower cranes on the skyline of the Las Vegas Strip:

Encore: Steve Wynn is adding a second 61-story tower adjacent to the existing resort. Encore is a $2.1-billion, 2,034-room hotel project set to open in the first quarter of 2009.

The Fontainebleau: Turnberrry Associates, owners of this project’s namesake in Miami, Fla, is building a  $2.8-billion, 3,889-room, hotel/condo-hotel/casino scheduled to open in 2009 at the 24.5 acre site previously occupied by the El Rancho Hotel and the Algiers Hotel.

City Center (model pictured above left): This $7.8-billion, 76-acre mixed-use complex is currently under construction by MGM Mirage and scheduled for completion in 2009. The complex includes 2,650 condominiums units and 4,540 hotel rooms amid residential and hotel towers and mid-rise buildings above a retail and entertainment district.

Echelon Place (left): This $4.8-billion multi-use project is Boyd Gaming Corporation's replacement for the Stardust Resort & Casino. Scheduled to open in 2010, the 87-acre site will include an 140,000-square-foot casino, four hotels providing 5,300 rooms, 25 restaurants and bars, and a convention center with 1 million square feet of space.

Las Vegas Plaza: This $5 to $8 billion ultra-luxury hotel, private residences, retai,l and gaming complex is under development by ElAd Properties, owner of the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Construction will begin in early 2008 and is expected to be completed in 2011.
Contact Attila Beres

Jay Gleason, Past PCA President, Dies at 66

PCA immediate past president John P. “Jay” Gleason, Jr., passed away on Jan. 14 after a long battle with cancer.

Gleason was president of PCA from 1986 to his retirement in 2007. Under his leadership, PCA membership increased from 57% of industry capacity to its current level of 98%.

Prior to joining PCA, he served for nine years as president and chief executive officer of the Brick Institute of America, Reston, Va. From 1970 to 1977, Gleason was deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Gleason has an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service, Washington, DC, and attended the Program for Management Development of Harvard Business School.
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December PPI: Steel Up Among
Flat or Declining Material Prices

Steel prices rose 0.8% from November to December, according to the December 2007 Producer Price Index (PPI).

During the same period, asphalt prices decreased 0.6%, concrete increased 0.1%, and lumber prices decreased for the fifth consecutive month, declining 0.8%.

Source: Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. The information is provided by PCA to aid in the promotion of concrete and cement-based products.
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Contact Craig Schulz

PCA Announces Sixth Edition of Masonry Handbook

PCA’s sixth edition of the Concrete Masonry Handbook for Architects, Engineers, and Builders highlights recent advancements in concrete masonry, enabling the design and construction of state-of-the-art residential, commercial, and industrial structures. 

The manual reflects the most common practices for concrete masonry construction, from the latest ASTM reference standards to innovations in materials and methods. The new edition places a major emphasis on the provisions of relevant codes including the 2006 International Building Code and the 2005 Building Code Requirements and Specification for Masonry Structures, published by the Masonry Standards Joint Committee. 
Contact Jamie Farny
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Concrete Floors on Ground Expanded, Updated

The design and construction of quality concrete floors on ground involves the careful consideration of several factors.  PCA's newly revised Concrete Floors on Ground is a comprehensive guide that provides the latest information on the design and construction process.

PCA's newly revised bestseller serves as design guide, construction manual, and authoritative reference for contractors, designers, and suppliers.   This expanded fourth edition describes the planning, construction, and repair of concrete floors on ground for a variety of floor classifications including high-tech industrial floors. 

Topics covered include floor flatness and levelness, moisture testing and floor coverings, concrete durability, floor maintenance and repair, and special floor types including white concrete floors.
Contact Michelle Wilson
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Poll Results: Mortgage Crisis had Greatest Impact on Construction in 2007

What was the most significant issue or event for the construction industry in 2007?

>Sub-prime mortgage crisis and residential downturn (69.08%)

>Immigration reform (4.61%)

>Increasing prominence of green building (11.84%)

>Minneapolis bridge collapse (14.47%)

Take the current PCA Poll