‘Ban or Not, Coal Power Projects Remain Hard to Scale’
The Ayala Group’s ACEN Corp. warns that new coal‑fired power plants in the Philippines will remain difficult to develop even if the government lifts the current moratorium. CEO Eric Francia cites weak social acceptance and financing gaps as key obstacles, while the Department of Energy argues coal is the cheapest short‑term option amid rising fuel prices. Major local banks have halted financing for greenfield coal projects, and ACEN is focusing on expanding its renewable‑energy portfolio. Coal still supplies over 60% of the nation’s electricity, with renewables at just 25%.
Inside the Shifting World of Retail Construction
Retail construction is confronting soaring material costs, tighter capital markets and a shrinking labor pool, which have collectively added tens of millions to project budgets—exemplified by a $10 million cost jump on a recent Walmart build. Developers are responding by shrinking...
Data Center Demand Drives 66% Surge in Natural Gas Power Plant Costs
Tech giants Microsoft and Meta are increasingly building on‑site natural‑gas power plants to power data centers, but BloombergNEF shows construction costs have surged 66% to $2,157 per kilowatt since 2023. Build times have also lengthened by 23%, stretching projects into...
Hartford HealthCare to Invest $1 Billion, Anchored by Patient Tower
Hartford HealthCare announced a $1 billion, ten‑year capital program anchored by a $950 million patient and surgical tower at Hartford Hospital. The tower will add 250 private smart rooms, an expanded emergency department, and a light‑filled lobby, while the broader plan includes...
Garney Breaks Ground on Hillsborough County’s Largest Wastewater Project
Garney has broken ground on the One Water – South Wastewater Conveyance and Treatment Project, the largest capital‑improvement ever undertaken in Hillsborough County. The initiative includes a new advanced wastewater treatment plant initially sized at 24 million gallons per day (expandable...
Thailand Revives Landbridge Project
Thailand’s government is fast‑tracking a Baht 1 trillion ($31 bn) rail landbridge linking new deep‑water ports in Ranong and Chumphon. The 90‑km line aims to provide a shortcut between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, shaving roughly four days off container voyages and cutting...
AI Occupiers to Drive up to 4m Sq Ft of London Office Take-Up by 2033
London’s commercial real‑estate market is poised for a notable shift as AI‑focused technology firms are expected to add up to 4 million square feet of office space demand by 2033. CBRE data shows that tech occupiers have already leased 17.9 million square...
Cambridge Resignalling Takes Shape
Network Rail is executing a £200 million (≈$254 million) Cambridge resignalling, relock and recontrol programme that modernises over 100 signals, 76 point machines and 300 axle‑counter sections across 132 track miles. Alstom’s Smartlock 400 interlocking and a new VDU‑based MCS Infinity control system...
Invisible Infrastructure: Inside a Dallas Community-Driven GIS Substation
Denton Municipal Electric completed the Hickory GIS substation, doubling capacity while cloaking the facility in a 22‑foot screen wall that matches historic downtown. The project used BIM to coordinate underground utilities and addressed challenging soil and water conditions. Community workshops...
Balfour Gets Start Date for £54m Middlewich Bypass
Balfour Beatty has received the green light to start construction on the £54 million (≈$69 million) Middlewich Eastern Bypass in Cheshire, a 2.5 km road slated to begin next month. The scheme, procured through the SCAPE framework, includes two major junctions, a new...
Former Meta, Buzzfeed Offices Could Be Next Conversion Candidate
Orda Management’s 225 and 233 Park Avenue South, once home to Meta and Buzzfeed, face a potential office‑to‑residential conversion. A $235 million mortgage on the combined 675,000 sq ft was placed in special servicing after more than 500,000 sq ft sat vacant, prompting lenders to...
TfL Signs £99.1M Bridges and Civil Structures Maintenance Contract with M Group
Transport for London (TfL) has awarded M Group Transport a £99.1 million (≈$126 million) five‑year contract to maintain bridges and civil structures across its rail network, with an optional three‑year extension. The deal, announced after a competitive flexible procurement under the Procurement...
Water Tower Place To Undergo $170M Redevelopment, Repositioning
MetLife Investment Management announced a $170 million redevelopment of Chicago’s Water Tower Place, converting the upper floors to office and medical space while refreshing the lower‑level retail. The plan introduces flexible small‑to‑medium retail suites and preserves the historic vertical mall’s legacy....
Dallas Transit to Invest up to $71.5M in Upgraded Bus Shelters
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is allocating up to $71.5 million to replace its citywide bus shelters with new, climate‑resilient structures. The contract with Tolar Manufacturing will deliver solar‑powered LED lighting, real‑time arrival displays, and a remote‑monitoring platform that alerts staff...
Ontario Government Introduces Act to Support Expansion of Billy Bishop Airport
Ontario has introduced the Building Billy Bishop Airport Act, 2026, allowing the province to assume Toronto’s role in the airport’s governing agreement and to acquire city‑owned land for expansion. The legislation aims to modernise the 2 million‑passenger airport, relieve congestion at...
NABTU, Microsoft Partner on AI Training for Construction Trades
North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) and Microsoft have launched a joint initiative to provide AI training for construction trades across the United States. The curriculum, announced on April 21, covers AI literacy, data security and practical jobsite applications such as...
Developer Revises Plan for 34-Story High-Rise at 8300 Wilshire Blvd. In Beverly Hills
Millennium Partners has revised its entitlement strategy for a 34‑story tower at 8300 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. The new plan trims the total residential count from 249 to 211 units while preserving a 473‑car garage and the ground‑floor restaurant...
Distributed Energy Infrastructure Installs Community Solar Projects Through Heavy Snowfall
Distributed Energy Infrastructure (DEI) has reached mechanical completion on two community‑solar farms near Lysander, New York—a 2.9‑MW West Genesee project and a 5‑MW Cold Springs project developed for Generate Capital. Construction proceeded through a record winter with over 100 inches of...
Midwest Data Centers: Why some Proposals Succeed and Others Fail
Midwest communities are rapidly embracing data‑center development, with more than 800 towns approving projects and Illinois alone accounting for 229 sites. Proponents cite diversified tax bases, high‑pay jobs, and local business growth, while opponents raise concerns about water use, energy...
Boston's 'Sliver Lots' Could Yield over 1,500 Affordable Homes
Boston officials and the architectural firm Payette have unveiled a plan to transform 1,200 city‑owned vacant parcels, including 158 tiny "sliver lots," into over 1,500 affordable homes. The strategy combines ground‑lease land use, modular construction, and the classic triple‑decker building...
$2.5B Oman–UAE Hafeet Rail Project Enters Heavy Civil Phase
The $2.5 billion Hafeet Rail, the first cross‑border railway linking Oman and the United Arab Emirates, has entered its heavy‑civil phase. At 40 % overall completion, crews have moved more than 27 million cubic metres of earth and begun tunneling through the Hajar...
Built for Demolition: Kobelco’s New SK1300DLC-11
Japanese manufacturer Kobelco has unveiled the SK1300DLC‑11, a 137‑tonne demolition excavator capable of reaching 37 metres. Powered by a 512‑hp Isuzu 6WG1 engine that complies with Tier 4 Final and Stage V emission standards, the machine offers multiple boom and arm configurations for...
QA Graphics Releases QAGFoxhound, a Niagara Tool Built to Organize and Validate BAS Databases
QA Graphics has launched QAGFoxhound, a desktop application for the Tridium Niagara platform that helps system integrators organize, validate, and document building automation system (BAS) databases. The tool connects directly to Niagara stations via a secure REST API and offers...
ULI Roundtable: Innovative Strategies for Workforce Housing
The Urban Land Institute hosted a roundtable of developers, investors and bankers to showcase new approaches to workforce housing. Participants highlighted income‑averaging LIHTC, private‑capital “essential housing,” and large‑scale preservation purchases that keep rents affordable. JPMorgan’s Lionel Lynch described health‑impact funding...
There’s a New Proposition for Struggling U.S. Downtowns: Beautiful Data Centers
Legacy Investing, founded by tech veterans Daniel English and Jay Rappaport, is repurposing vacant downtown office towers into high‑density data centers as U.S. demand for compute power surges. The firm’s flagship conversion of a Minneapolis office sold for $235 million—eight times...
Applications for Home Energy Upgrades up 96% in 2026
Ireland’s National Residential Retrofit Plan, backed by a record €640 million (≈$698 million) budget, is driving a surge in home‑energy upgrades. In Q1 2026, applications for individual upgrades jumped 186% year‑on‑year, and total applications rose 96%, with SEAI processing 29,000 requests. The...
How One Arlington YIMBY Used 'Homebrew Econometrics' To Lobby for Density
Matthew Kowalyk, an Arlington YIMBY, applied his economics background to create a simple econometric model supporting a Pentagon City upzoning proposal. His analysis projected an $8‑11 million boost in county tax revenue, confirmed that nearby transit stations have capacity for additional...
Housebuilding Targets at Risk without Energy Support for Brick Manufacturers
Labour’s goal of building 1.5 million homes faces a bottleneck as brick manufacturers struggle with soaring energy costs. The GMB union warns that the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) excludes brick and tile producers, even though it supports mortar suppliers. Brickmakers...
Dubai’s Gold Line Underground Metro Project Approved
Dubai’s ruler announced approval of the Gold Line, a 42‑km fully underground metro costing about AED 34 billion (~$9.2 billion). Construction will start immediately, with tenders this year and the main contract awarded in 2027, aiming for a September 9 2032 opening. The line...
Young Adults' Interest in Construction Trades Doubles as AI Reshapes Career Outlook in 2026
A National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) survey finds that interest in construction trades among 18‑ to 25‑year‑olds has doubled over the past decade, rising from 3 % to 6 %. The industry projects a need for roughly 2.2 million new skilled workers...
UK Startup Showcases All-in-One Water Cylinder Heat Pump Prototype
British startup Nusku unveiled a prototype that packs an air‑source heat pump, a 180‑litre hot‑water cylinder and a smart controller into a single outdoor unit. The integrated design eliminates the need for indoor cylinders and reduces installation time to one...
US: $1.1 Billion to Be Invested Into Railroad Crossing Safety Improvements
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced a $1.1 billion investment to upgrade safety at railroad crossings nationwide. The funding, administered through the FRA’s Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program, will support overpasses, underpasses, advanced signaling, track relocations, and public education initiatives....
EirGrid Announces Procurement Package for Irish Offshore Wind
EirGrid announced a procurement package valued at over €100 million (approximately $110 million) for the Powering Up Offshore – South Coast Tonn Nua Substation project. The package includes design, fabrication, installation and commissioning of offshore substations and related high‑voltage equipment. It is...
Are Geopolitical Uncertainty and Rising Costs Slowing the 'Race to Retrofit' Commercial Buildings?
The latest analysis shows the UK’s commercial real‑estate sector saw fewer A, A+ and B Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) in 2025 than in the two preceding years, indicating a slowdown in building retrofits. Property owners cite rising material and labour...
Dash 5 Highway Class Pavers From Vögele with Redesigned Screed System
Vögele unveiled its Dash 5 Highway Class pavers, the SUPER 2000‑5 X tracked model and the SUPER 2003‑5 X wheeled version, featuring the new VR 600 and VF 600 screeds. Both machines can lay up to 1,540 US t/hr across widths from 10 ft to 27 ft 9 in, while the Mini Class...
Pace Plans 100MW "Texas First" Data Center in Glasscock County
Austin‑based developer Pace announced the Lone Star Project, a 100 MW data center in Glasscock County that will initially run on behind‑the‑meter natural‑gas power. The campus is engineered for AI workloads and is designed to expand up to 1 GW as demand...
Trans-Guinean Railway Unveils Passenger Plans
Trans‑Guinean Company (CTG) is preparing passenger service on its 650 km railway that will move up to 120 million tonnes of iron ore from Simandou to a new port at Morebaya. Ten stations, at least one per prefecture, are slated for completion...
Dublin's Stephen's Green Shopping Centre Gets Permission For €100M Revamp
Davy Real Estate’s fund has secured planning permission for a $109 million, part‑demolition revamp of Dublin’s Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre. The mixed‑use project will provide office space for 3,000 workers and roughly 205,000 sq ft of retail across three levels. The city council approved...
ICON Launches ICON Prime Defense Unit to Scale 3D Printed Construction for Military and Space Infrastructure
ICON has created a new defense‑focused unit, ICON Prime, to commercialize its large‑scale 3D‑printing construction systems for U.S. military and NASA space projects. Former CIA officer and Congressman Will Hurd was named president, tasked with expanding government partnerships. The unit already...
HS2’s Northolt Tunnel Cross Passages Complete
The Skanska‑Costain‑STRABAG joint venture has finished constructing all 34 cross passages in HS2’s Northolt Tunnel, a 13.44 km stretch in west London. The twin‑bore tunnel, excavated to depths of 35 m, now moves to installing reinforced concrete collars and fire‑rated doors. Structural...
Homebuilder Earnings: D.R. Horton Sticks Out as Pulte & NVR Sales Tank
Homebuilders entered Q1 2026 with declining revenues and earnings, but D.R. Horton emerged as the relative bright spot. PulteGroup saw sales slip 12% YoY and EPS tumble 30%, while NVR suffered a 21.7% revenue plunge and a 28.6% EPS drop. All...
Climate Disaster Victims Are Rebuilding Using Prefab Homes From Boxy to Bespoke
A wave of climate‑driven disasters is pushing homeowners in fire‑prone regions toward prefabricated housing. Programs like City‑LAB UCLA’s prefab showcase help families such as the Warneskys secure financing and select fire‑resistant modular homes. Manufacturers are offering customizable, steel‑and‑concrete kits that...
Utility Work Is Booming, but Contractors Are Struggling to Keep Pace. Here’s Why.
Utility construction is experiencing a surge as utilities upgrade grids, add renewable connections, and support AI‑driven data centers. Yet contractors are scrambling to keep pace, with 40% flagging data and communication gaps and 28% worried about faster billing cycles. A...
Harworth, Microsoft Win Backing for Leeds Hyperscale Data Centre Campus
Harworth and Microsoft have secured official backing for a 500,000‑square‑foot hyperscale data centre campus in Leeds, following a committee resolution that cleared regulatory hurdles. The project, slated to be one of the largest in the UK, will be co‑developed by...
Harmonising Standards for Composites in Construction and Infrastructure
Fibre‑Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites are gaining traction in construction for their durability, light weight, and resistance to corrosion, especially in marine, bridge and chemical‑plant applications. Their non‑magnetic and non‑conductive traits also suit specialised rail infrastructure. Wider market penetration, however, hinges...
Barratt Redrow Partners with Buckinghamshire Council to Deliver 1,100-Home Masterplan
Barratt Redrow has teamed with Buckinghamshire Advantage, the council‑owned arm of Buckinghamshire Council, to deliver the 1,100‑home Woodlands masterplan on a 495‑acre site south‑east of Aylesbury. The scheme, already granted planning permission, will feature 220 affordable homes, a 40‑acre sports...
USD 2 Billion to Improve Rail Transport in the U.S.
The Trump administration, via the U.S. Department of Transportation, announced more than $2 billion in federal funding to upgrade America’s rail network. The money will be awarded competitively to projects that cut congestion, boost passenger ridership, modernize freight corridors, and enhance...
Eastern Province Cement Completes New Kiln Line in Khursaniyah
Eastern Province Cement Co announced the completion of a new 10,000‑ton‑per‑day clinker kiln line at its Khursaniyah plant in Saudi Arabia. The line was delivered under a turnkey contract with Chinese firm Sinoma CDI, signed in February 2024, and incorporates the...
Siam City Cement Signs MoU
Siam City Cement Lanka and Southern Province Chief Secretary Chandima C. Muhandiramge signed a memorandum of understanding to raise construction standards in the region. The MoU, formalised by CEO Thusith Gunawarnasuriya at a ceremony in Galle, brings together engineers from...
Planning Data Powers Lead to Standardisation
The UK government has introduced new regulations requiring English local planning authorities to publish key plan‑making data—such as timetables and housing targets—in a standardized digital format. This marks the first use of planning data powers under the Levelling Up and...