Florida Construction Law

New England’s largest “energy-positive” building—that is, it will produce more energy than it consumes—is scheduled to open in November 2016. The project is a $30 million, 63,500-square-foot expansion to Boston’s EpiCenter, a 23,500-square-foot structure that was the first in Boston to earn platinum LEED certification in 2005. From Construction Dive Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Japanese construction company Shimizu Corp. has designed a city to be built in the ocean, with a giant sphere that would house 5,000 people and bobble just above the water’s surface but connect to the sea’s floor via a nine-mile-long spiral anchor. The transparent, watertight sphere would include homes, hotels, and commercial complexes. Other spheres could be built nearby. From Construction Dive Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

The number of hotel rooms under construction or in the planning phase was 15% higher in October than in fall 2013, according to the 2014 STR Pipeline Report.  Upscale and “upper midscale” hotels account for two-thirds of the development, the report said. From Construction Dive Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

The construction   industry created new jobs in 37 states and Washington, DC, between October 2013 and last month, the Associated General Contractors of America reported. Florida added the most construction jobs of any state since October 2013, while New Jersey lost the most. From Construction Dive Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

In a free webinar Dec. 4 at 2 p.m. (ET), Hawkins Thomas, sustainability manager for HITT Contracting, covered what LEED credit supporting documentation is, how it incorporates into the submittal review process, and how proper subcontractor selection can help alleviate LEED pressure during construction. From ABC Newsline Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

As a response to Harvard's 2011 Pathways to Prosperity report, national leaders from the construction industry joined forces with educators during the Construction Career Pathways Conference. Hosted by NCCER in conjunction with the Association for Career and  Technical Education VISION2014 conference, the program highlighted examples of some of the highest performing career pathways in the country for students interested in a career in construction. From ABC Newsline Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

The largest installation of a rooftop solar panel array in the U.K. is under construction. The system will encompass 900,000 square feet and is expected to produce 5,000 megawatt-hours of energy annually. The 24,272 photovoltaic modules should be installed by early next year. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Lon Smith Roofing, Citizens National Bank and Owens Corning have provided a Blooming Grove, Texas, family with a new roof under the national No Roof Left Behind program. "This particular job is a little bit more intensive [than] just the roof. We have got rafters and there are a number of issues that need to be take care of first," said Lon Smith Vice President Scott Hamilton. The company participates in the program every quarter. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Homeowners with large amounts of snow on their roof should consult a licensed contractor to see if the snow must be cleared immediately, said Buffalo Construction roofing expert Mike Klein. Anything over one foot should be removed, he added. Klein also discussed the signs of a potential roof collapse, including deformations, cracked wood, doors or windows that have become difficult to open, popping sounds, and new or enlarged wall and ceiling cracks. From NRCA    Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

The cost of rooftop solar energy is expected to drop below the cost of energy generated from coal or oil in two years, a Deutsche Bank report states. It is estimated that the cost of solar energy will be on par with oil-produced energy by 2016 and will continue to get cheaper as the cost of solar technology continues to decline. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Billingsley Co. wants to build a mixed-use project with six office towers, retail space and apartments and townhomes in Plano, Texas. The project, dubbed Beacon Square, which will be sited on 86 acres, will be done in phases with the first phase to consist of 482 apartments. Work could begin as early as next year. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

The ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia, could receive a retractable roof if the government approves a $350 million renovation proposal. The transparent roof would be able to open or close in 20 minutes. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

CNA and NRCA are accepting nominations for the CNA/NRCA Community Involvement Award, which honors charitable works by NRCA member contractors. Nominate any charitable project, activity or donation completed between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2014, for a chance to win up to $5,000 for your charity. The awards will be presented during NRCA's 128th Annual Convention in New Orleans. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 31. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

NRCA will offer a CERTA Train-the-trainer Authorization class Feb. 23 in New Orleans during NRCA's 128th Annual Convention and the 2015 International Roofing Expo. With CERTA Train-the-trainer Authorization, participants can earn continuing education units by learning about new industry best practices for torch-applied polymer-modified bitumen roof systems and gaining the teaching skills needed to train others regarding torch safety.   From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

The U.S. Navy is partnered with SolarCity to install rooftop solar systems on approximately 6,000 homes throughout the San Diego metro area. The project will be launched in 27 neighborhoods with Navy and Marine Corps housing. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

The ARTIC transit center, in Anaheim, Calif., will feature a 200,000-square-foot ethylene tetrafluoroethylene roof, making it the largest such roof in the country. Designed to be energy-efficient, the roof will reflect heat and will be lined with 600 LED lights. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Jack Resnick & Sons has completed the construction of a 20,000-square-foot, two-level green roof in downtown Manhattan. The roof includes sedum grass plantings on a mechanical platform and on the building's top floor. The Environmental Protection Agency says a project of this type would cost about $25 per square foot. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Canam Steel will fabricate the steel for the Atlanta Falcons' new retractable-roof stadium. The contract is worth more than $200 million, and deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2015. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Renovation of the Thornden Park water tower commenced with the installation of its new 11-ton aluminum roof. The massive roof takes the place of the original concrete-and-steel roof and will be supported by 16 concrete columns.  From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney   Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

FRSA’s new training center is up and running and open for business. The facility located at 7071 University Blvd, Winter Park, FL 32792 houses the FRSA and Credit Union offices, a conference room for 10-12 people, a classroom training center that can seat up to 100, and a garage and outdoor facility for hands-on training. Rental of the facility includes audio visual equipment (laptop, screens, and projectors), Wi-Fi, storage, receiving and disposal of materials, and seating for indoor or outdoor use. Food and beverage arrangements can be made through FRSA or brought in. From FRSA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

The U.S. construction industry added 12,000 jobs in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics preliminary estimate released Nov. 7. September's estimate was revised upward from 16,000 to 19,000 net new jobs. Nonresidential construction slipped in October, losing 1,900 jobs on a monthly basis. From ABC News Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Florida International University claimed the top spot at the 2014 ABC Construction Management Competition, taking home the first place title Nov. 11 in Miami Beach, Fla. The competition started at the beginning of the school year in September when the students were given a request for proposal based on a real project being completed in Boca Raton, Fla. After months of preparation, the teams presented their bids on the project in front of a panel of judges, testing their skills in project management, estimating, safety, quality control and presentation. From ABC News Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Passive and active technologies -- including heat exchangers, polyisocyanurate rigid foam insulation and biomass boilers -- are being employed in the Bricker project designed to evaluate the efficacy of energy retrofits compared with building new. The goal is to retrofit three public buildings in Spain, Belgium and Turkey to achieve a 50% reduction in energy usage. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

After a major hailstorm last May, contractors in Billings, Mont., are experiencing a labor shortage as workers leave to join roofing companies. For example, All Star Custom Seamless Rain Gutters had three new employees leave within three months to do roofing work. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606  www.trentcotney.com