Groundbreaking Held for $180 Million Cancer Center in Chapel Hill

Local dignitaries, representatives of general contractor Skanska USA Building and others held a groundbreaking ceremony recently marking the beginning of construction of the new North Carolina Cancer Center Hospital for the University of North Carolina Hospitals.

The seven-story, 320,000-sq.-ft. clinical building is slated to open in 2009, and will combine cancer treatment and research. The project also includes a 105,000-sq.-ft. physician's office building, which is scheduled to open in 2008. The total cost of the project is reported as approximately $180 million. Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership of Seattla is the architect of record.

The new cancer center will replace a 1950s-era tuberculosis sanatorium where cancer patients currently receive treatment.

Residential Improves but Other Sectors Fall in N.C., S.C.

Residential was the only category to show improvement in September in both North Carolina and South Carolina, McGraw-Hill Construction reported recently. Due entirely to that growth in residential, however, compared to a year ago, the value of new contracts for future construction activity improved by about 2 percent in North Carolina and roughly 12 percent in South Carolina.

In North Carolina, new September contracts totaled nearly $1.7 billion, compared to last year's $1.6 billion. The biggest sector, residential, improved by 16 percent compared to last September and tallied roughly $1.3 billion. Meanwhile, the value of nonresidential contracts fell by 24 percent to total approximately $248 million. The value of nonbuilding contracts fell by 44 percent and totaled just $97.7 million for the month.

Year-to-date, North Carolina contract activity is 11 percent ahead of the first nine months of 2004, with a total value of approximately $17.8 billion. Nonresidential is 4 percent ahead of last year's pace, with roughly $3.7 billion in new contracts reported to date. The value of residential contract activity has climbed by about 13 percent to total roughly $12.2 billion. The nonbuilding sector is 11 percent ahead for the year, with approximately $1.9 billion in new contracts reported.

The trend was much the same in South Carolina, where September experienced a 12 percent improvement that resulted in a $948.1 million total. Residential contracts increased by 41 percent to total roughly $724.8 million, compared to last September's $514.4 million. The nonresidential category fell by 12 percent for a monthly total of roughly $163.7 million. The nonbuilding sector declined by 58 percent, to tally approximately $59.6 million for the month, down from last year's $143.4 million total.

Despite the strong residential numbers and the overall improvement in September, year-to-date, the value of new contracts in South Carolina, now estimated at about $9 billion, is still 1 percent behind last year's pace. Residential, estimated at nearly $6.3 billion and with a 28-percent improvement so far, is the only positive sector for 2005. The nonbuilding category, with a roughly $886.9 million total, is an estimated 52 percent behind the first nine months of 2004, while nonresidential, with a value of about $1.8 billion, is down by roughly 19 percent.

UNC-Charlotte Unveils New Motorsports Research Lab

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte recently unveiled its new Motorsports Engineering Research Lab. The 6,400-sq.-ft. facility, built by Skanska USA Building, features classroom and laboratory space where students in The William States Lee College of Engineering's motorsports research discipline can concentrate on projects ranging from technology testing for race teams to research for the U.S. Department of Energy.

Roads and Bridges Names Knightdale Bypass as Top Project

Roads and Bridges magazine, a publication covering the country's transportation infrastructure, named Flatiron's recently completed Knightdale Bypass one of the "Top 10 Roads and Bridges" in the U.S.

The Roads and Bridges' editorial staff based their selection on the size of the project and how it contributes to the nation's overall transportation needs. The magazine recognized the Knightdale Bypass among the ten best new road and bridge projects for its sheer size and timely accommodation of increasing traffic demands in the Raleigh, N.C., area.

"The Knightdale Bypass] is one of the largest jobs…in the country, and it has met several challenges dealing with scheduling, permit compliance, and traffic control. The Knightdale Bypass defines what is a Top 10 Road," wrote the magazine's editor, Bill Wilson.

The new bypass accommodates approximately 70 percent of U.S. 64 traffic in Knightdale, N.C. Flatiron Constructors opened the 10-mi. design-build project to traffic about one month early in July 2005.

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