The year’s first big project opportunity, the new home for Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon, is advancing. On Feb. 21 the university short-listed three architects and construction managers for the $80 million +/- project. Staying in the hunt for the CM role are Mascaro, PJ Dick and Turner. Interviews are scheduled for mid-March.

Tepper may be the only large project opportunity available this spring but the market has been a little more friendly for contractor who serve the $1-$10 million slice of construction. Particularly for the private sector there has been activity in commercial and hospital projects. Hospital work will be a bit lean again this year – especially by historical standards – but between the handful of hospital systems in the region the pie should still be around $400 million. As promised, UPMC has bid a flurry of projects since the beginning of the year and issued the demolition package for the remaining former Children’s Hospital structure in Oakland. AHN has roughly $100 million in modernization projects in design.

The $4.5 million black box theater expansion to Duquesne’s Mary Pappert School is bidding March 4 to Jendoco, Massaro, PJ Dick, TEDCO and Turner.The first phase of Crown Castle’s $20 million expansion into the former Mylan HQ in Southpointe is out to bid to A. Martini, Massaro and Shannon Construction. PJ Dick has the in-line retail phase of McCandless Crossing – 10 buildings totaling 93,000 sq. ft. – out to bid.

On the public side of the ledger, the new 89,000 sq. ft. state office building in Clarksburg WV is bidding March 14. Freedom Area School District’s $12 million primary center bids on March 6.