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Study Warns of Labor Shortage
The Indiana Construction Roundtable Inc. recently released
the Indianapolis Craft Labor Study which shows that Central
Indiana's construction economy is one of the hottest in the
nation but warns that severe shortages of construction workers
could lead to project delays, cost overruns, and slower economic
development.
The report advised Central Indiana's business and government
leaders to do more to attract workers into the local construction
workforce.
ICR, a nonprofit organization serving construction consumers,
commissioned the study by FMI Corporation, a provider of management
consulting services in the construction industry.
The study indicates that by 2004 severe shortages will exist
across virtually every construction craft and by the following
summer the Indianapolis market will be short by 6,500 skilled
craft workers.
Among the major projects included in the study are the airport
expansion, Indianapolis Public Schools projects, the City
of Indianapolis's sewer construction, highway work, new projects
at Eli Lilly and Co. as well as many hospital projects.
ICR also announced additional plans to attract workers to
the industry. A new Web site is planned to entice young people
to a career in construction. It will target high school students
as well as out of state workers.
The site will also have resource materials for educators to
use that will help them teach about careers in construction.
It will also post job vacancies and provide information that
newcomers to the area might need such as housing information.
The complete study is posted at ICR's Web site, www.indianaconstruction.org.
'Monumental' Projects Recognized for Beauty
Thirty-five projects were recognized for quality during the
26th Annual Monumental Affair Awards.
The highest award, Honor recognition, was given to six projects,
each in a different category:
Indiana University Biotechnology Research & Training
Center in the Construction category
Downtown Corridor Improvements in the Landscape Architecture
category
The Clarian People Mover in the Downtown Development
category
Maregatti Interiors in the Interior Design category
Christel House Academy in the Architecture category
Warren Pride Clean-Up, the Mayor's Neighborhood Award
Winner
Indiana Business College in the Project/Community Development
category
The Clarian People Mover also won the Monumental Award, an
honor for the most significant visual and physical enhancement
to Marion County.
An independent jury judged the 70 submissions. The competition
is a program of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, and Indianapolis
Power & Light Co. served as the sponsor.
Wastewater Plant in New Albany
The $20.3 million expansion and renovation of the wastewater
treatment plant in New Albany is under way. The new treatment
plant will be completed in April 2005.
The project is part of a $44 million upgrade of the town's
sewer system to comply with federal regulations. The expansion
will more than double treatment capacity and prevent backups
and overflows during all but the most severe storms.
The expansion and modernization project will enable New
Albany to advance compliance with a 1992 consent decree
with the Environmental Protection Agency to bring the city
into compliance with the 1972 Clean Water Act. In 2001,
the city was able to reduce accumulated fines by the EPA
of $16.5 million to $180,000 by agreeing to upgrade its
sewer system by the end of 2004.
O'Fallon, Mo.-based Paric Corp. is serving as construction
manager on the project.
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