When the going gets tough, the tough remodel.  Remodeling, renovating, repurposing, or repositioning - whatever you may call it, developers are looking to refurbish old buildings to get more value out of their properties.  A recent New York Times article examines a few recent renovations, and how they offer a way to receive greater return.  If developers are able to purchase an old building at a reduced price, a portion of the money saved can be used to upgrade it, which in turn brings in better rents.

Even if a building is stripped to its foundation, the savings of keeping the existing foundation (versus demolishing it) can be significant.  Not only are materials prices saved, but there is less construction time involved, therefore ushering in tenants quicker.  Other aspects, such as grandfathered zoning and the "green" factor of retrofitting, are also very appealing. 

For the complete article from the New York Times, click here.

At AGC's 91^st Annual Convention and Pavilion in Orlando, Fla.. Mike Kenig from Holder Construction Group in Atlanta was elected Building Division chair and Chuck Greco from the Linbeck Group in Houston was elected Division vice chair.  Eric Stenman from Barnhart-Balfour Beatty, Inc. was also appointed the new chair of the AGC Contract Documents Committee.

According to a recent article, the U.S. General Services Administration has awarded $4 billion of its $5.5 billion of Recovery Act funds to convert existing federal buildings into LEED-certified green buildings.  GSA Administrator Martha Johnson claims that the GSA's green investments "will save taxpayer dollars in energy efficiencies and builld a more sustainable economy."  More than 390 projects have been awarded funds, covering all fifty states, two U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.

For the complete article from GovernmentExecutive.com, please click here.

April 22, 2010 | 3:00pm-4:30pm ET

For owners seeking a third-party green-building certification, it is essential to all parties that the green building objectives and responsibilities are clearly delineated in order to effectively achieve project goals.

The contracting mechanisms for building green projects can play a key role in outlining measurable objectives and designating roles and responsibilities.  Using the ConsensusDOCS 310 Green Building Addendum as a baseline for examples, attendees will learn from green building experts how to:

• Identify unique risks in building green
• Review contractual best practices for green building
• Distinguish project participants and their respective roles and responsibilities
• Determine the green building facilitator

Registration:

AGC Members:  $20
Non-Member:  $49

Duration: 90 minutes (including live Q & A)

Register today!  AGC Members receive a special discounted price of just $20.  Please contact Megan McGarvey at mcgarveym@agc.org or 703-837-5369 should you have questions.

Join key players in the building construction industry at the AGC Building Contractors Conference in Midway, Utah, June 9-12, 2010. This Conference consistently offers a worthwhile and constructive experience to industry leaders who gather to network, exchange ideas, and hear presentations offering timely guidance and best practices. The AGC Lean Construction Forum will feature several sessions, including Lean Construction 101 and case studies.

Conference Topics Include:

• Building Construction Market
• Owners Roundtable
• Lean Construction
• Environmental and Safety Regulations
• Green Construction/Sustainability
• Building Information Modeling
• Surety/Risk
• Future of the Construction Industry

Look for more information at www.agc.org/bcc. Register today!

Building contractor sessions and issues were prominently featured at AGC's 91^st Annual Convention and Pavilion held last month in Orlando, Fla.  Both the Industry Liaison Committee and Construction Marketing Committee held sessions on Building Information Modeling (BIM), with a focus on BIM from an owners perspective and using BIM for interviews and

presentations.  The Lean Construction Forum held a session highlighting AGC's current and future efforts related to this exciting topic.  The Project Delivery Committee heard from Dr. Keith Molenaar about research that investigates the influence of project delivery methods on sustainable design and construction.  The keynote speaker for the Building Contractors Division Meeting was Jack Blitch from Walt Disney Imagineering (photo at right).  Blitch provided a look from Imagineering's early days to the present and how BIM and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) are a part of their construction practice.  Along with professional development sessions and other programs, the Convention proved to be a worthwhile experience for those who made the trip to Orlando.

AGC's 92^nd Annual Convention will be held March 21-25, 2011 at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set new rules for certain contractors who renovate or repair housing, child-care facilities or schools built before 1978.  Workers must follow lead-safe work practice standards to reduce potential exposure to dangerous levels of lead during renovation and repair activities.

EPA's "Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program" (RRP) rule takes full effect on April 22, 2010.  Specifically, the requirements apply to renovation, repair or painting activities where more than six square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed in a room or where 20 square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed on the exterior.  The affected workers include builders, painters, plumbers and electricians, for example.  

Requirements

The current RRP requirements require paid contractors and maintenance professionals to be trained and certified on certain mandated lead-safe work practices before renovating or repairing housing and facilities for children built before 1978.   AGC contractors need to be focused on the following compliance dates:

• December 2008 - Pre-renovation education requirements took effect on December 22, 2008, and require workers to distribute an EPA educational pamphlet called Renovate Right to occupants, post signs and retain records for three years; and

• April 2010 - Training, certification, and work practice requirements take effect on/after April 22, 2010.

As of April 22, 2010, the rule will be fully implemented.

The Federal Register cite is 73 FR 21691-21769, April 22, 2008 - online at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-TOX/2008/April/Day-22/t8141.htm and http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-8141.pdf.  The final rule (codified at 40 CFR Part 745, Subpart E) became effective on June 23, 2008; however, within the regulatory text you will the compliance/effective dates listed above (see "Section 745.81 - Effective Dates").

Compliance Assistance

AGC has distributed news articles (as in previous Building Material articles) to chapters and members explaining the legal requirements and contractor responsibilities, and we've encouraged AGC Chapters to consider becoming accredited training providers (http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/agcmmq/issues/2010-01-11/7.html). 

An EPA compliance guide is available at http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/sbcomplianceguide.pdf.  EPA also issued an Enforcement Alert in January 2010, available here.  For copies of the educational brochures on this new program, call 1-800-424-LEAD. 

Expansion of Lead Paint Requirements?

A recent article run in the March issue of Building Material explains that EPA is currently considering whether or not to expand and strengthen requirements of the 2008 Lead RRP rule to cover renovations of both the exteriors and the interiors of all public and commercial buildings.  Please click here for the article.

For more information on EPA's lead program, visit http://www.epa.gov/lead.

June 16-17, 2010 | Indianapolis, Indiana | Early Bird Discount Ends May 24

This year's program will build upon the previous series of successful meetings and will cover standardized practices, definitions and terminology in an effort to create a unified understanding of the four steps to successful project delivery, plus the ability to use Project Delivery Systems, definitions, selection and implementation. To learn more and register click here!

A recent Bloomberg article exposes the fact that U.S. lenders are currently sitting on approximately $1.29 trillion in cash, nearly matching the amount of existing business loans dollar for dollar.  Large banks are keeping cash locked up, despite the increased demand for more liquidity. 

To read the complete article, please click here.