The West Virginia market is again active for western PA contractors. While the Ruby Hospital South Tower addition project is on hold temporarily, work at WVU rolls along. Last week the bids for the new art museum came in and the results were very competitive. March-Westin was low at $7,197,00 with Massaro at $7,297,000 and Landau at $7,298,000. The university has pre-qualified six contractors for its $80 million agricultural sciences building, which should come out in September and for the $20 million minor league baseball stadium, which will be a design/build competition.

The growing confidence in the economy has definitely made an impact on the activity level in the second quarter. As summer enters its second half, there are fewer hard bid opportunities out there but still eight or ten significant RFP’s for CM contracts, both agency and at-risk. The Carnegie Science Center is taking proposals for CM-Risk on its $30 million expansion from Mascaro, Massaro and PJ Dick. Bids should be taken soon for the fit-out of the new Noble Energy headquarters at Southpointe. There is unconfirmed word that Fluor Corp. reached a contract to serve as the EPC contractor for the Shell cracker facility near Monaca, a project that has not been officially green-lighted as yet. While due diligence for the plant continues, reports that engineering/construction firms like Flour and Jacobs Engineering are searching for space inspire confidence that a positive decision will be made.