UPDATE: House panel backs repeal of public projects wage law
The Republican-controlled House Labor Committee voted 8-4 Tuesday in favor of eliminating the boards that set construction wages for each state or local project costing more than $350,000.
Construction Bids/Contracts
Articles
Local homebuilders have best November since 2007
Builders filed 386 single-family building permits in the nine-county metro area last month. That’s the highest number in November since 500 permits were filed seven years ago.
Simon headquarters repairs spur blame game
Simon Property Group Inc.’s downtown headquarters is showing signs of structural damage, and building contractor Duke Construction Limited Partnership blames the problems on design flaws by CSO Architects Inc.
Councilors to get peek at justice center plans
Some city-county councilors might get early access to information about a new criminal justice complex, but they have to agree to keep it under wraps.
Bicentennial plaza planned by Statehouse
With the future of a state-owned downtown parking lot in limbo, Indiana is looking to a smaller space on the west side of the capitol as the site of a public plaza to commemorate the 2016 bicentennial.
Justice center deal tests transparency laws
Three teams competing to partner with Indianapolis on a half-billion-dollar criminal justice complex shaped the city’s yet-to-be released specifications in closed-door meetings.
Two contractors accused of wage violations accept plea deals
The Marion County Prosecutor's Office has reached plea agreements in two cases in which a contractor was accused of paying workers less than the required wage on publicly financed projects.
Special Report: City’s building spree leaves trail of spoils
Mayor Greg Ballard takes pride in Rebuild Indy, the city’s nearly $400 million program that doubled the volume of public works projects—and became engineering and construction firms’ largest business opportunity with the city in more than a decade.
Firm passed over for Ball State planetarium cries foul
Bowen Technovation President Jeff Bowen says the university unfairly favored his Florida-based competitor to install a sophisticated audio-visual system for its new planetarium, but Ball State maintains there was nothing wrong with its process for awarding the nearly $2 million contract.
Airport demolition bids come in way under budget
Taking down the old passenger terminal at Indianapolis International Airport could cost half as much as anticipated. The airport authority board voted Friday to approve all but one of the recommended contracts.
Speedway agrees to major overhaul in ADA settlement
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will make millions of dollars in updates to settle a Department of Justice investigation that found more than 360 violations of federal disability law.
Strong finish to year giving home builders optimism
The number of single-family building permits filed in the nine-county area climbed 43 percent in November, the fifth straight month of year-over-year increases, according to the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis.
Daniels, Beshear reach agreement on bridges
Construction on two new bridges costing $2.6 billion and spanning the Ohio River between Kentucky and Indiana could begin in late 2012, with the spans open before the end of the decade, Kentucky and Indiana officials said Thursday.
New road contracts are built for speed
A bidding method being used more often by the state is likely to reduce misery for motorists and merchants in the path of a highway project. Project completion time is now a major consideration in reviewing road-work bids that were traditionally evaluated almost entirely on cost.
‘Buy local’ law doesn’t sting Indy sewer project
A new state law that could add to the cost of public works projects didn’t impact one of Indianapolis’ most sizable bids this year.
Keystone Towers implosion set for late August
The long-vacant Keystone Towers apartment complex will be imploded Aug. 28 at 8 a.m., the Department of Metropolitan Development announced Monday afternoon.
City mum on economics of $15M parking garage
City officials and the developer of a proposed parking garage in Broad Ripple have refused to share financial projections for the project, describing the documents as a “trade secret” exempt from public disclosure.
Rejected bidder cries foul over demolition of Keystone Towers
Titan Wrecking & Environmental bid about $255,000 less than the winning proposal to demolish Keystone Towers, but was rejected because of missing paperwork. The company owner says the city could have overlooked the omissions to save taxpayers money.
City seeks bids for $300M sewage tunnel system
City officials are seeking bidders for the first phase of Indianapolis’ largest-ever public works project, an underground tunnel system equipped to store millions of gallons of raw sewage and prevent the excrement from flowing into local waterways.
UIndy to add dorm for upperclassmen
With enrollment surging in recent years, the University of Indianapolis finds itself needing new dorm space. The private college will build a $10 million, 200-student residence hall on the south edge of its campus.