Georgia Ends ‘08 With 59% December Decline

The overall value of new Georgia contracts signed in December for future construction fell 59%, compared to the same period of a year ago, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Southeast Construction. The total value of new contracts was roughly $917.5 million, compared to last December’s approximately $2.2 billion.

In December, all three of McGraw-Hill Construction’s broad categories showed heavy declines. Of the three, the value of nonbuilding contracts – which includes infrastructure – staggered the most, dropping by 75% compared to last December to total roughly $238.7 million. The nonresidential market fell 40% compared to a year ago, and totaled about $489.5 million for the month. The residential segment fell 57% for a $189.3 million total.

For all of 2008, McGraw-Hill Construction estimates the total value of new Georgia contracts at 35% behind 2007, with a final estimate for the year of approximately $17.2 billion. That dollar figure compares to 2007’s $26.6 billion total.

The residential market ended 50% behind ’07, with roughly $5.9 billion in new contracts. The nonresidential market ended ’08 at 16% behind 2007, with nearly $8.1 billion in new project starts. The nonbuilding sector ended 2008 with an estimated $3.3 billion volume in new project starts, which is roughly 38% behind ’07.

BE&K to Build Proppant Facility for CARBO Ceramics

Houston-based KBR announced that one of its divisions, BE&K, was awarded a contract by CARBO Ceramics to provide engineering and construction management services for the expansion of its proppant manufacturing facility in Toomsboro, Ga.

BE&K will install a new, additional lightweight proppant facility which will produce an estimated 250 million pounds-per-year of 20/40 and 30/50 mesh product.

“This allows BE&K to continue to build on its relationship with CARBO Ceramics,” said David Zimmerman, President of KBR Services.

Catamount Nears Completion of LEED-Certified Housing Redevelopment

Atlanta-based builder Catamount Constructors is nearing completion of the first phase of Sustainable Fellwood, a LEED-certified housing development in the Savannah area. Owned by the Housing Authority of Savannah and master developed by Melaver, in partnership with Parallel Housing, Progressive Redevelopment, and Vanguard Developers, Sustainable Fellwood is a mixed-use, affordable housing re-development.

When complete, the project will include 220 multi-family mixed-income units, a 100-unit senior housing facility, 13 single-family homes, 40,000 sq ft of commercial space and a four-acre park. Occupancy is scheduled to begin March 2009.

Additional collaborators include the City of Savannah, CHSA Development of Savannah and Lott Barber, Architecture and Planning.

Sustainable Fellwood was accepted into U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Neighborhood Development Pilot Program in June 2007. LEED-ND’s rating system integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building into a national standard for neighborhood design.

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