Duke Power Seeks to Build New Nuclear Capacity

Duke Power of Charlotte recently confirmed it is preparing a combined construction and operating license application for new nuclear generation. The application is for two Westinghouse Advanced Passive 1000 reactors at a site to be named following the conclusion of its current site selection study.

The company said pursuit of the COL application, which is expected to be submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission within the next 24-30 months, is part of the company's long-term generation planning process, and will allow Duke Power to keep new nuclear generation as an option.

Westinghouse technology is currently in use at the Duke Power-operated McGuire nuclear station in North Carolina and the Catawba facility in South Carolina.

Westinghouse is working with The Shaw Group, an engineering, design, construction and operations firm, on engineering work for this project.

N.C., S.C., Experience Gains in October

Both North Carolina and South Carolina experienced overall growth in the value of new contracts for future construction activity, McGraw-Hill Construction reported recently. The pace of North Carolina's contract activity improved by 8 percent in October, while South Carolina's increased by 2 percent.

In North Carolina, new October contracts totaled slightly more than $1.9 billion, compared to last year's nearly $1.8 billion. The biggest sector, residential, improved by 22 percent compared to last October and tallied nearly $1.4 billion. The value of nonresidential contracts also increased, by 11 percent, to total approximately $474.3 million. The value of nonbuilding contracts fell by 56 percent in October and totaled approximately $114 million for the month, compared to last year's $259.4 million.

Year-to-date, North Carolina contract activity is 11 percent ahead of the first ten months of 2004, with a total value of approximately $19.9 billion. Nonresidential is 5 percent ahead of last year's pace, with nearly $4.2 billion in new contracts reported. The value of residential contracts has climbed by about 15 percent to total roughly $13.7 billion. The nonbuilding sector is 2 percent ahead, with almost $2.1 billion in new contracts reported.

The situation was similar in South Carolina, where October's 2 percent gain was the result of strong residential growth mixed with a significant decline in the nonbuilding sector. The overall total for October was nearly $1.1 billion. Residential contracts increased by 26 percent to total roughly $711.5 million, compared to last October's $563.8 million. The nonresidential category was flat compared to last year, with a total of roughly $248.3 million. The nonbuilding sector dropped by 48 percent, to tally nearly $130.2 million, down from last year's $252 million.

Year-to-date, the value of new contracts in South Carolina, estimated at about $10.3 billion, is 2 percent ahead of last year's pace. Residential, at about $7.1 billion and with a 30-percent improvement so far, is the only positive sector for 2005. The nonbuilding category, with a roughly $1 billion total, is an estimated 52 percent behind 2004's pace, while nonresidential, with a value of about $2.1 billion, is down by about 15 percent.

John S. Clark Co. Acquired by Obayashi Corp.

Tokyo-based Obayashi Corp. recently announced plans to acquire John S. Clark Co., a construction firm based in Mount Airy, N.C. The principals of John S. Clark Co. will continue to manage the company and oversee daily operations.

The company focuses on industrial, commercial, retail, health sciences, and technology design and construction, and works in 22 states.

Company Starts $65 Million Expansion of Wilmington Plant

Fortron Industries of Wilmington, N.C., recently announced plans to invest $65 million to double the capacity of its plant here. Fortron, a joint venture between Japanese-based Kureha and U.S.-based Ticona Technical Polymers, manufactures heat-resistant plastics used in the construction of airplane wings, car parts and circuit boards.

Duke Realty to Develop $66 Million Office Campus

Indianapolis-based Duke Realty Corp. announced plans to develop three Class "A" office buildings for Lenovo USA at Perimeter Park in Morrisville, N.C. The corporate campus will encompass more than 500,000 sq. ft. of Class "A" office space, to be built over the next three years.

Construction on the first two buildings, totaling 358,000 sq. ft., will begin in early 2006 and be completed by early 2007. Total project cost for these two buildings will be approximately $46 million. The third building of 143,000 sq. ft. is estimated to cost approximately $20 million, and will commence at Lenovo's option in January of 2008 for occupancy in 2009.

Haas CNC Racing to Build New Facility in Kannapolis

Haas CNC Racing of Harrisburg, N.C., which fields a NASCAR NEXTEL cup team, announced plans to begin construction in early 2006 on a new 140,000 sq. ft. facility in Kannapolis at the Gateway Business Park.

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