September 2014 - Nevada Contractors Association

CONSTRUCTION
CONNECTION
SEPTEMBER 2014
The Voice of Southern Nevada’s Construction Industry
Nevada Nixes P3 Plans for $1.5 Billion Project NEON
Nevada’s Transportation Dept. has scrapped plans to use a
public-private partnership (P3) approach for a massive upgrade
to a congested section of Interstate 15 in downtown Las Vegas,
turning to bond market financing instead. Higher interest rates,
rising finance costs and increasing operation and maintenance
expenses drove the about-face, say project officials.
“We re-analyzed the delivery method due to federal funding uncertainty,” says Nevada DOT Director Rudy
Malfabon. “Bonding market demands and competitive
pricing make using bonds more affordable than
originally projected.”
The Las Vegas’ $1.5-billion Project NEON will
now become a design-build job that places financing,
maintenance and operation under state control. The project
is geared to improve Nevada’s busiest section of highway: a
3.7-mile stretch of I-15 between Sahara Avenue and the U.S.
95/I-15 interchange that sees 250,000 cars daily and 1,000 accidents annually. The planned four-phase undertaking will reduce
traffic weaving, improve safety and reduce congestion-related
crashes, while providing additional capacity for future growth.
Corridor traffic is expected to double by 2030.
Only about 20 P3 design, build, finance, operate, and main-
tain projects have reached financial closure since 1990, partly
due to regulatory and legislative hurdles and attractive taxexempt municipal bonds, says the Eno Center for
Transportation, a Washington, D.C., nonpartisan think tank.
Project NEON will create a one-mile-long high-occupancy
vehicle (HOV) connector between U.S. 95 and I-15, plus direct
HOV access ramps. Work also includes reconstructing the
Charleston Boulevard interchange and adding other new
connections. Construction is scheduled from 2015 to
2018, creating an estimated 4,100 jobs. Project
NEON will reduce travel times by 22%, saving
$110 million annually in lost productivity.
The state, which had solicited P3 request-for-proposals in mid-2013, naming three finalist teams late last year,
has since issued a new RFP. The state began spending $250 million last year to buy land around the project alignment, but 100
parcels still need purchasing.
“The right-of-way acquisition schedule is the critical path for
this project, not the procurement of the design-builder,”
Malfabon says. “The additional time it takes to repackage the
RFP as a design-build project will not result in a delay.”
For more on Project NEON, CLICK HERE.
Associated General Contractors of Las Vegas Nevada Contractors Association 150 N. Durango Dr., Ste. 100, Las Vegas, NV 89145 Tel: (702) 796-9986
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2014 SPONSORS
The Las Vegas chapter of the Associated General Contractors and the Nevada Contractors Association
wish to thank the following companies for their generosity and continued support as 2014 sponsors.
PLATINUM
DIAMOND
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
2 Construction Connection
September 2014
Las Vegas Paving completed a
105-foot-wide, 240-foot-long
bridge carrying Cactus Avenue
traffic over I-15 between Dean
Martin Drive and Las Vegas
Boulevard. The $52 million project finished two months early.
Las Vegas Paving Finishes
$52 Million Cactus Flyover
Las Vegas Paving Corp. recently completed a $52 million
Interstate-15 diamond interchange in south Las Vegas two months
ahead of schedule. The hard-bid project creates a 2-span, 11-steelgirder flyover at Cactus Avenue, carrying east and westbound traffic over I-15 for the first time.
The 105-foot-wide, 240-foot-long bridge connects Cactus
Avenue between Dean Martin Drive and Las Vegas Boulevard with
six travel lanes and two left turn lanes; it will also improve an existing portion of West Catcus Avenue between Polaris Avenue and
Dean Martin Drive.
“Construction created 100 jobs during the peak of activity or
about 200,000 man-hours of craftwork,,” said Las Vegas Paving
division manager Corey Newcome. “We placed 70,000 tons of
asphalt and 230,000-cubic yards of earthen fill, primarily for the
interchange ramps.”
The project built nine aesthetically patterned mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls up to 30-foot tall; other work called for
new traffic signals, landscape improvements, and upgraded flood
control over a 1.5-mile area. Las Vegas Paving additionally
removed 4,600-feet of deteriorating culvert and installed 3,500-feet
of new open channel, while adding 7,400-feet of double and triple
box culvert up to 16-foot by 7-foot in size.
“This project greatly enhances motorist accessibility and safety,” says Nevada DOT director Rudy Malfabon.
Fast Trac Electric Completes Interchange Upgrade
Fast Trac Electric recently completed a $1.39 million interchange upgrade in southwest Las Vegas. The intersection at
Blue Diamond Road (State Route 160) and Cimarron Road now
features a new traffic signal with marked crosswalks and posted speed limits, thereby making it safer for pedestrians and
school children.
The location is near the 7,800 rooftops of the Mountain’s
Edge planned community and the Wright Elementary and
Canarelli Middle schools. In November, 14-year-old Helen Liu
was hit and killed by truck near the intersection. She was traveling with two friends who were also injured. Residents, in the
aftermath, demanded that something be done. A temporary
memorial tribute was erected.
September 2014
Construction Connection 3
Clark County Builds $137 Million Wastewater Pipeline
Clark County, Nevada, is building a big-bore wastewater
pipeline that will serve the fast-growing south Las Vegas Valley.
The $137-million project calls for 13 miles of conveyance from
Valley View Boulevard and Serene Avenue to Nellis Boulevard
and Flamingo Road. The Paradise-Whitney Interceptor, as it is
being called, will place buried sewage pipeline from 48 to 72
inches in diameter in three sections.
“This project is a win-win,” said Larry Brown who chairs the
Clark County Water Reclamation District’s Board of Trustees.
“We are investing in our community’s infrastructure, while creating local jobs.”
Las Vegas Paving Corp. is placing the $62.3 million, 5-mile
eastern segment that crosses Nellis Boulevard, Hacienda Avenue,
Lamb Boulevard, Oquendo Road, Pearl Street and Patrick Lane.
It includes sewer installation within the Grapevine Springs Park
boundary.
The $42.7-million, 4-mile central pipeline section that
traverses McLeod Drive, Sunset Road, Eastern Avenue,
Warm Springs Road, Tamarus Street and Eldorado Lane is
being done by another contractor. Construction is expected to
begin work early next year.
Meanwhile, the final 4-mile-long western portion, estimated to cost $32 million, is expected to be awarded later this
month. The contract includes the installation of 1-mile of 15inch-diameter pipe at Las Vegas Boulevard and Ford Avenue.
MWH Global, Broomfield, Colo., is the design-engineer.
Construction work isn’t expected to begin until mid-2015.
The multiyear undertaking will relieve the county’s current collection system, portions of which are operating at
capacity, while providing added capacity for future growth.
The District collects and treats 100 million gallons of wastewater daily from thousands of Southern Nevada homes,
schools, and businesses through a 2,000-mile pipeline network that feeds into seven treatment facilities.
Flamingo Corridor Upgrade Wins Federal Grant
The Regional Transportation Commission of
Southern Nevada recently received a $13.3 million
federal grant for improving a 14-mile section of
Flamingo Road from Grand Canyon Drive to
Jimmy Durante Boulevard in Las Vegas, as part of
the latest round Transportation Investment
Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) awards.
The money will be used to create a bus rapid
transit route with station enhancements, shared
transit and bike lanes, pedestrian infrastructure
improvements, pavement, and signals. The corridor’s existing transit line serves more than 12,000
passengers a day, making it the single most frequented bus route.
“Flamingo Road carries as many as 90,000
vehicles each day,” says RTC general manager
Tina Quigley. “The improvements will include
dedicated transit lanes, pedestrian improvements
and 86 new transit shelters that enhance safety,
mobility and our quality of life.”
4 Construction Connection
September 2014
AGC Conducts 10-Hour
OSHA Safety Course
AGC Holds Beginning
QuickBooks Course
The AGC Las Vegas Chapter is holding an OSHA 10-hour
safety course on September 29 and 30, from 7:00 a.m. to 1:30
p.m., at 150 N. Durango Drive in Las Vegas. The two-day course
will review state and federal safety standards, including hazard
communications, chemical safety, industrial hygiene, personal
protection equipment, confined spaces, and walking and working
surfaces. Other course topics consist of scaffolds and ladders, fall
protection, powered lifts and industrial trucks, basic hoisting and
rigging, fire protection, and welding and electrical safety. Troy
McKnight is the instructor. Students must be able to read, write
and speak English. The cost is $80 per member, or $125 for nonmembers. For more information, contact Stephanie Ellis at
[email protected] or CLICK HERE.
The AGC Las Vegas Chapter is holding a beginning
QuickBooks course on Thursday, October 16, from 8:00
a.m to 10:00 a.m. at 150 N. Durango Drive in Las Vegas.
David Osburn, MBA, with Osburn & Associates, and Julie
Booth, a practicing Las Vegas certified public accountant,
will teach the two-hour course focused on learning the
basics of the fiancial accounting software, QuickBooks,
which is widely considered the industry standard. Topics
will include invoicing, business categorization, cash management, and bank reconciliation, among other things. To
reserve a seat or learn more about the course, contact AGC
education and training director Stephanie Ellis at [email protected] or (702) 796-9986
AGC/NCA Holds ‘Winter Wonderland’ Dinner Dance
The AGC/NCA Holiday Dinner Dance and Silent
Auction will take place Friday, December 5 inside The Red
Rock Resort Casino & Spa, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd.,
Las Vegas. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.; dinner is served at
7:30 p.m.
This year’s theme is “Winter Wonderland.” Tickets are
$180 per member or $1,800 for a table of 10; non-members
are $200 per ticket or $2,000 for a table of 10. Festivities
include a silent auction whose proceeds fund the Michael
T. Martin Memorial Scholarship, helping local high school
graduates pursue a construction career. The will also be
food, live music and dancing. It’s the industry’s biggest,
most anticipated social event of the year.
For more information contact Nadia Nguyen at nadia@
agclv.org or 702-796-9986. To reserve seat or table,
CLICK HERE.
September 2014
Construction Connection 5
EDITORIAL
Construction Industry Faces Margin Tax Threat
Nevada voters are faced with a critical decision about a
margin tax proposal known as Question 3. If passed, it would
devastate the already hard hit construction industry where businesses are struggling to stay afloat following the worst recession in U.S. history. Even money-losing companies would be
forced to pay the tax.
The misguided, deeply
flawed initiative levies a 2%
tax on businesses with gross
revenue of more than $1 million per year – even if none of
that revenue is profit. Unlike
business income taxes, which
are based on profit, the margin
tax would be levied even when
businesses post no profit or
operate at a loss. Construction
would be especially susceptible
with narrow operating margins
between 1% and 3%.
Proponents of the initiative
claim the measure’s $1 million
gross revenue threshold protects small businesses. Not true.
The initiative’s complex calculation of total revenue puts many
smaller businesses over the $1 million threshold. Furthermore,
a business with revenue just $1 over $1 million would be liable
for taxes on its entire revenue ($1,000,001), not just the $1.
There is no exemption for a business’s first $1 million in revenue, thus creating a “fiscal cliff” for business owners where
just one additional dollar in revenue would trigger $14,000 in
tax liability. It would also create a compliance nightmare and
added administrative expenses.
If passed, Nevada would have one of the highest business
tax burdens in the nation with the equivalent of an almost 15%
corporate income tax, nearly double that of California. It would
make it difficult to attract new businesses and investment to the
state. In fact, Question 3
would result in the loss of
nearly 9,000 private sector
jobs by adding a $750 million increased cost for doing
business in Nevada, says
leading economist Jeremy
Aguero.
Tax proponents call it an
“education initiative,” but
the language omits any talk
about how the money would
be used. There is no accountability on how the funds
would be allocated. And it
doesn’t provide any assurance that the money would
end up in the classroom where it’s needed most.
The margin tax is not only myopic, it’s devastating. It would
derail any economic progress made since the recession. The
Las Vegas chapter of the Associated General Contractors and
the Nevada Contractors Association are committed to defeating
this corrosive initiative at all costs. It’s vital to the future of the
construction industry and the state of Nevada that Question 3
gets defeated. Vote no in November. For more information,
CLICK HERE.
AGC/NCA Hosts Contractor of the Year Awards
The AGC Las Vegas and the Nevada Contractors
Association are holding their 2014 Contractor of the Year
Awards luncheon on Friday, October 17 inside The
Orleans hotel-casino, 4500 W. Tropicana Ave., Las Vegas.
Festivities take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The awards recognize contractors in a variety of categories, including heavy/civil highway and building construction as well as safety and leadership. The annual program recognizes industry service and advocacy as well as
project innovation, performance and skill.
Winners will be revealed during the luncheon ceremony. To reserve a seat or table at the luncheon, CLICK
HERE.
6 Construction Connection
September 2014
AGC Safe Site Award
July 2014: Martin-Harris Construction
Martin-Harris Construction is AGC’s July
2014 Safe Site Award Winner for the construction of a new $18 million HarleyDavidson dealership, on 5.25 acres, at 5191
Las Vegas Boulevard, South. The 45-foot-tall
50,000-square-foot concrete-tilt wall building broke ground in December. The construction contract is valued at $8.3 million. The
project has employed 58 people during the
peak of building activity, without recording a
single lost-time accident. Martin-Harris’
Wade Pope is project manager, with Kenny
Folkersen as superintendent. The Strip location marks the third local Harley-Davidson
dealership for developers, Don Andress and
Tim Cashman. The steel-framed building will
have new and used motorcycles, a service
department and retail store. The 14-month
project is scheduled to finish in October.
AGC Welcomes Four New Members
Silver State Truck & Trailer
Brian Chapman
3701 Freightliner Drive
North Las Vegas, NV 89081
P: 702-643-0313
F: 702-657-1139
E: [email protected]
Integrated Document Management Technologies
Charbel Abi-Nader
7575 West Ali Baba Lane, Suite 127-193
Las Vegas, NV 89128
P: 702-740-4368
F: 702-898-4438
E: [email protected]
Security Plumbing & AC
Francisco Gonzalez
4213 Lower Saxon Drive
North Las Vegas, NV 89085
P: 702-415-6994
F: 702-645-6689
E: [email protected]
Southwest Specialty Contractors
Victor Dubois
6442 Arville Street
Las Vegas, NV 89118
P: 702-382-7972
F: 702-361-8012
E: [email protected]
McCarthy Hires
Yash Mehta
Yash Mehta was recently hired by
McCarthy Southwest as Director of
Preconstruction. His primary focus
will be on healthcare, higher education and new growth markets. Mehta
previously owned an architecture and
construction management in India.
7 Construction Connection
September 2014
Mix & Mingle
AGC/NCA held its quarterly membership mixer on Thursday, August 28, at
Panevino Ristorante, 246 Via Antonio
Avenue in Las Vegas. Sponsored by
Sletten Construction, the event attracted
150 people who mixed, mingled and made
friends. For more photos, CLICK HERE.
September 2014
Construction Connection 8