special issues index

January 27, 2000

1999 another big year for public construction

1999 was another big year for public construction and today the Daily Journal of Commerce highlights the biggest jobs. This issue features significant alternative bid jobs that are currently under construction. The top 20 hard bid jobs are the largest in the state with bid opening dates in 1999.

Once again many of the largest projects are being built under the General Contractor/Construction Management bidding method, with the football stadium leading the way. The public is committed to paying the first $300 million of this project Seahawk owner Paul Allen will cover the rest, which will be at least another $125 million and probably more. Turner Construction is the contractor.

The University of Washington and Washington State University also have contracted for several jobs under this method. Baugh and Hoffman are each working on large medical projects for the UW, and Sellen is the contractor for the renovation of Hec Edmundson Pavilion. At WSU, Lydig is building a teaching and learning center, Shea is working on a health sciences facility and Baugh is showing no favoritism by building a large project (Engineering/Life Sciences Building) in Pullman as well.

Less visible jobs being built under this method are the Seattle Center Central Utility Plant (Baugh) and the expansion of the Special Offenders Center at Monroe for the state Department of General Administration (Hoffman).

We can expect more GC/CM projects in the future and, in fact, many are currently in the design phase, such as three correctional facilities and a Bellevue Community College building for General Administration, and several projects at the state's two biggest universities.

This year's hard bid jobs were led by the Washington State Convention and Trade Center expansion designed by LMN Architects and being built by Kiewit Construction. Seven school projects were among the top jobs, including high school modernizations/expansions in Bellingham, Maple Valley, Everett, Spokane and Puyallup.

There were three highway projects this year, but funding for future major highway improvements may be severely curtailed with the passage of I-695. Everyone from Initiative 695 sponsor Tim Eyman to Gov. Gary Locke seems to recognize that traffic congestion is a major problem in Western Washington, so the construction industry will want to keep a close eye on the Legislature to see what sort of funding solutions can be found.

In spite of the funding challenges ahead, this issue serves as a tribute to public construction. It recognizes the architects, engineers, contractors and suppliers who are helping to build the projects that add to the quality of life in Washington.

- Phil Brown Ben Minnick Aaron Schab
Special Section editors