The impending crisis for higher education is a real thing. There is a demographic cliff coming in the next five years that presents an existential threat to colleges and universities that aren’t prepared or positioned properly to deal with the shrinking enrollment. This problem is a major reason why you’re seeing Robert Morris proactively reorganize its colleges and curriculum. The good news for Pittsburgh is that the major higher ed institutions in the region are already well-positioned; and there capital spending belies the coming slowdown for colleges.

Pitt has issued an RFP for architectural service for its $100 million Center for Human Performance, part of the $400 million Victory Heights athletic complex. Pitt is also interviewing four finalists for its $100 million One Bigelow Square project and will put the $70 chilled water plant out for CM proposals soon. PJ Dick has started construction on the $30 million renovation/expansion of the Graduate School of Industrial Administration at Carnegie Mellon, one of six major projects in preconstruction or underway at the campus. Penn State has issued a request for letters of interest for A/E firms for its $92 million Liberal Arts Research & Teaching Building.

Massaro Corp. is putting the new $5 million, 21,000 square foot Best of Batch Clubhouse out to bid. Massaro was also successful on a $1.5 million AHN neuro renovation at St. Vincent Hospital in Erie. MBM Contracting has started construction on the $9 million GI Lab at Allegheny General Hospital. MM Marra Construction is underway with the $2 million expansion of Pusadee’s Garden in Lawrenceville.  Turner Construction was awarded the $6 million Braskem USA lab renovations at the Pittsburgh Technology Center and a $3 million fit-out for Facebook at CMU. 

Check out the March/April BreakingGround to see what big data will mean for construction.