Clark Construction lands $524M contract for DC cybersecurity hub
The U.S. General Services Administration and Department of Homeland Security tapped Bethesda, Maryland-based Clark Construction to build a new agency headquarters in Washington, D.C., according to a news release.
The new 630,000-square-foot federal building, located on Homeland Security’s sprawling St. Elizabeths West campus east of the Anacostia River, will house the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the nation’s lead organization for cyber defense and critical infrastructure security.
The contract, valued at about $524 million, includes approximately $115.8 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding.
That’s the GSA’s largest single IRA project investment to date as part of the Biden-Harris Investing in America agenda, according to the release.
Clark Construction will start work in the fall of 2024 and plans to complete the project by 2027, according to the GSA.
Housing Perspectives: Rebuilding the Construction Trades Workforce
Since the mid-2000s, the construction industry in the United States has faced a significant shortage of skilled labor. During the Great Recession, the industry lost nearly 1 million workers and has since struggled to rebuild its workforce as demand has returned. There are roughly one million fewer workers in the construction trades than there were at the time of the last housing boom in 2007, which has contributed to project delays, rising costs, and other challenges. This labor shortage stems from two factors. The primary factor is the difficulty the industry has had attracting and retaining young people, women, and people of color. The second is a decline in new immigrant trades workers who have historically filled in labor gaps. To tackle these barriers, a number of initiatives have been implemented across the country to change perceptions about careers in construction, increase enrollment in construction-related education and training programs, and attract individuals who have been underrepresented in skilled trade occupations.
Microsoft grabs another 160 acres south of Atlanta for data centers
Microsoft isn’t done expanding its data center campus south of Atlanta — not even close.
The Fortune 500 tech giant recently paid more than $56 million to add 161 acres to its land holdings in south Fulton and Fayette counties, according to county property deeds. Since February, Microsoft has scooped up nearly 320 acres across the city’s Southside, paying roughly $115 million in total for developable land to feed its insatiable need for more data center space.
METRO ATLANTA Mayor Dickens’ housing goals given $48 million assist
Mayor Andre Dickens said the funding will go toward the creation and preservation of multifamily housing in the Southside, Westside and downtown areas of the city, providing homes for people below or at 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI).I.
5 ways to improve construction DEI
As Construction Inclusion Week wraps, one CEO says some companies may overlook the importance of diversity, but the business case for it is compelling.
Diversity, not racism, must be construction’s default
In an industry known for overcoming challenges, progress on inclusion doesn’t measure up, according to one construction CEO and author.