May 2, 2013

Survey: PCL Construction Services

Image courtesy of PCL Construction Services [enlarge]

PCL is building 31 stories of luxury apartments on First Hill for Laconia Development.

Specialty: General contracting, design-build and construction management services for office, multifamily, airports, transportation and tenant improvements

Management: Wayne Melnyk, vice president and district manager, Seattle district office; Paul Douglas, president and CEO

Founded: 1906

Headquarters: Denver (U.S. corporate)

2012 revenues: Seattle district office, $125 million; PCL family of companies, $6.8 billion

2013 projected revenues: Seattle district office, $300 million; PCL family of companies, $7.2 billion

Current projects: Seneca Apartment Community, a 31-story luxury residential tower on First Hill; Lower Baker Unit 4 Powerhouse

For PCL Construction Services’ Seattle office, the turnaround in the economy means that the company can continue to capitalize on factors that make Seattle great.

“We believe the Seattle market is bullish compared to many other metropolitan cities throughout the U.S.,” said Wayne Melnyk, vice president and district manager of the Seattle office. “The market holds the most educated labor force per capita — all contained within an area that is strategically located in the world.”

Melnyk said there still are headwinds that have pressured the construction market in recent years, even in Seattle.

“The capital market appears to be loosening, but cautiously, for private investment,” he said.

Melnyk said he sees signs of improvement in apartment buildings and office space. “We have seen an uptick in pre-construction services for owners seeking to develop apartments in the metropolitan area,” he said. “Improvement in these types of residential towers and hotels appear strong. Class A office space is coming back in demand as inventory shrinks.”

PCL recently broke ground on the $72 million Seneca Apartment Community, which is a 31-story luxury residential tower on First Hill, and continues work on the Lower Baker Unit 4 Powerhouse for Puget Sound Energy. The new powerhouse will generate power while meeting license-mandated minimum in-stream flows, Melnyk said.

As the economy improves, PCL is adding staff. “We continue to bolster our pre-construction services staff, focusing on design-build, design-assist and other alternative deliveries,” Melnyk said.

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