Across the country, some state mandates have shut down all nonessential business and request that employees work remotely wherever possible, and shelter-in-place orders have kept people from leaving their homes aside from vital errands.
At the same time, even in some of the cities and states with the most stringent shutdowns, construction continues.
As confusion over whether or not construction is considered “essential” grows, and continues to beg for clarification, here is a brief look at some major projects continuing work, and what their local mandates are demanding.
SoFi Stadium
In Los Angeles, the Turner- and AECOM Hunt-managed $4.9 billion future home of the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers has continued construction, despite a confirmed coronavirus case of an ironworker at the site and stay-at-home orders from California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The stadium, which is one of the most expensive NFL projects ever, was slated to hold home games for the franchises beginning this fall and host the Super Bowl in 2022.
Inglewood, California, Mayor James T. Butts Jr. said in a letter to County Supervisor Kathryn Barger that construction on the stadium and infrastructure related to it would continue amid the other closures. Housing construction is also going on in the city, the Los Angeles Times reported.
California’s statewide business closures exempt construction.
Allegiant Stadium
The other most high-profile, expensive NFL stadium under construction has also continued work. The $1.9 billion Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, set to be the host to the Las Vegas Raiders, continued construction after a nonessential work halt in Nevada.
Construction on the stadium continues after a worker on the project tested positive for COVID-19. General contractors Mortenson and McCarthy have said that the worker is in self-quarantine for two weeks, and the area where he worked has been shut down and sanitized.
Kansas City International Airport
The largest project in Kansas City, Missouri, is also continuing construction, as Missouri has no statewide shutdown mandate.
The $1.5 billion expansion and modernization of the Kansas City International Airport terminal is being completed by Maryland-based Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate LLC.
Virgin Trains Orlando-to-West-Palm
Construction on the $4 billion train route between Orlando and West Palm from Virgin Trains USA is continuing, with added precautions including disinfecting surfaces, increasing hand washing and social distancing, according to the Orlando Business Journal.
Florida has no statewide mandate issued. Earlier this month, Disney World stopped all construction in Orlando. The parks already were closed due to coronavirus.
Amazon HQ2 Campus
Clark Construction is reportedly continuing construction in Pentagon City, Virginia, with added safety precautions for hand washing and social distancing, the Washington Business Journal reported.
Public meetings concerning the $1 billion HQ2 project have been postponed. Virginia has shut down businesses statewide with an exemption for construction.
Amazon’s HQ2 will have 67,000 square feet of retail when it opens in 2023.
