Each Monday, we'll let you know what's coming in the week ahead, including important residential and commercial report releases, as well as our feature articles.
Eminent domain for rail projects feature article — March 28
A new rail project can often benefit a community, but the necessary land acquisitions can face major pushback from locals who are affected by the project. In our feature article on Tuesday, March 28, we’ll take a look at eminent domain through the lens of a proposed high-speed rail from Dallas to Houston.
Building on History: A historical kitchen conundrum — March 28
A walk through Washington, DC's historic Georgetown neighborhood left one reporter with a seemingly simple question: Why would a kitchen be located at the front, not the back, of a century-old home? The answer, however, took her all the way to the secretary of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. On Tuesday, March 28, we'll share our findings in the latest installment of our occasional column, Building on History.
The evolving construction tech landscape — March 29
While a few major software developers dominate the AEC space, a growing number of smaller-scale providers offer apps and other tools that aim to solve specific problems or issues on the job site. While these technologies are designed to work with the predominate enterprise systems, they aren't necessarily a part of the companies that make them. Construction Dive talked with former Autodesk CEO Carol Bartz, who is now on the board of AEC tech startup PlanGrid, about this trend, how it compares to past periods of evolution in the construction software space and the future of mobile on the job site.
Pending home sales — March 29
While pending home sales dipped slightly from December to January, pockets of growth were evident in the Northeast and South. A rebound in housing starts in February could bode will for future pending sales, with the single-family category increasing modestly from January. Permits, though down 6.2% month-to-month, were up 4.4% year-over-year. On Wednesday, March 29, the National Association of Realtors will announce its pending home sales report for February, offering more details on the pace at which new inventory is being taken off the market.
Connecting with the Hispanic workforce feature article — March 30
Attempts to make the construction industry more diverse and to draw in more Hispanic workers is uniquely difficult during a time of increased immigration enforcement under the new presidential administration. Construction industry groups have pushed back against calls for stricter enforcement, as immigrants make up a significant portion of the workforce. In our feature article on Thursday, March 30, we’ll look at how construction companies can effectively connect with the Hispanic workforce amid the ongoing labor shortage.
The evolving builder–dealer relationship — March 30
The local lumberyard has long been an ally of builders in its community, from offering lines of credit on materials to, in rarer cases, helping finance projects. However, the housing crash made suppliers, and the banks that backed them up, more cautious about the financial incentives they offered customers. In our feature article on Thursday, March 30, we explore the current state of builder–dealer financial relationships.
