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Top 2008 Projects
Two Shades of Midwest Green
Ireland boasts of its 40 shades of green.
In the Midwest, we cannot brag like the Emerald Isle does when it comes to green.
But we still hold our own when it comes to construction and “green.” Indeed, it could be argued that we have two shades of green.
Green and its association with sustainable construction and design has been a major focus locally for years in part due to Chicago's effort to be the No. 1 city nationwide in terms of environmental focus. Every week several press releases reach my in-box touting one green project or another.
In addition to smart building, green is associated with growth. Even as the economy struggles to shake off the doldrums in the wake of the subprime crisis, federal budget deficit and recessionary environment, the Midwest continues to green and grow through construction and design.
Our annual presentation of the Midwest's biggest projects in our Top Projects coverage confirms this. The enormity of several projects is breathtaking.
Consider our No. 1 and 2 completions, the reconstruction of the Dan Ryan Expressway and the new West Building of the McCormick Place Convention Center, both on the South Side of Chicago.
Combined, those projects alone represent an almost $2 billion investment. The new exhibit hall will help ensure that Chicago fends off similarly prominent convention centers in Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla. The redone Dan Ryan is intended to keep business and commuters moving on the city's busiest highway.
Medical, Infrastructure Projects
Several trends emerged in this year's Top Projects, including the prominence of projects in medical facilities and infrastructure.
Two of the four biggest starts are the estimated $1 billion Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago in the city's Streeterville area and the $901 million expansion of Rush University Medical Center on the Chicago's West Side. Three other major projects-the $250 million Patient Tower at Northwest Community Hospital in northwest suburban Arlington Heights; the $235 million BJC Research Center in St. Louis; and the $180 million Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery in Madison-show how improving medical technology, the prominence of the life-sciences and aging Baby Boomers are affecting the construction market.
In infrastructure, a raft of power plants, highways and schools demonstrate that the message about the nation's crumbling infrastructure is being heard.
Top Projects features the biggest completions and starts by cost in Illinois, Indiana, eastern Missouri and Wisconsin. Cost figures are based on the best available information.
The top-20 completions are presented first followed by the top-20 starts.
Coverage includes an image and brief description of each Top Projects started or completed between summer 2007 and summer 2008.
Cost figures and dates are based on the best available information. Data was obtained by soliciting information from industry sources, using reliable reports and employing databases. An attempt was made to verify all information. Those projects were not included if they fell outside parameters, were unpublicized or lacked verifiable information.
If you know of any projects that might qualify for Top Projects in 2009, I encourage you to call me, Craig Barner, at 312-233-7471, or e-mail me at craig_barner@mcgraw-hill.com. Have a great constructing year.
- C.B.
Editor
Midwest Construction
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