The baby boom "echo" is clearly showing in the DJC 1997 Top 20 survey. Nine of the jobs are public schools and two others are university projects.

A fast-growing economy, in-migration and children of baby boomers are putting the pressure on schools, roads and utility projects. Public works contractors were generally busy last year and the need for large publicly-funded projects should keep Washington construction companies working hard for the foreseeable future.

Clark County and its main city, Vancouver, remain the fastest growing part of the state, according to state Office of Financial Management figures. It is growing a rate of over 4 percent annually, compared to 1.6 percent for the entire state. This growth is reflected in the DJC survey; four of the school jobs are in the Vancouver area, a new school in the Sifton area, and addition/modernization projects at Hudson Bay, Fort Vancouver, and Columbia River high schools.

Other projects include military work at McChord Air Force Base and Fort Lewis, road work in Selah, Bothell, and Bellevue, treatment plants in Puyallup, Vancouver and Renton, a wharf facility for the Port of Tacoma and reconstruction of the Port of Edmonds marina, which was badly damaged by last winter's icy storm.

To be eligible for the Top 20, projects had to be awarded during 1997 on a low-bid basis. Contracts awarded under the GC/GM process are highlighted here. Mary Gates Hall begin as a GC/GM job, but was later switched to a traditional bid by the University of Washington. Because of this, Mary Gates Hall was not assigned a numerical place in the list.

The architects, engineers, contractors and suppliers that participated in these projects are doing more than just earning a living. They are helping create the basic infrastructure and educational facilities necessary for a modern society to function.

The Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce salutes all those involved in helping build Washington's future.