Public Buildings, Energy Efficiency Projects, Potential Retail on Drawing Boards
“Lincoln finds itself in an enviable and exciting position with the continued West Haymarket and Innovation Campus developments,” said George Schuler, assistant vice president for Boyd Jones. “Investments in K-12 and higher education look to remain strong with an increased focus on renovation projects. Multi-family planning and sparks of retail interest seem to have remained somewhat steady in recent months.”
The new arena in Lincoln offers the potential for growth in the retail and hotel sectors, said Cristy Joy, managing partner for Architecture Etcetera. “There will be some exciting announcements for the first part of 2012,” she added.
Berggren Architects has a history of working with existing buildings, a business model that continues to be viable in the current economy, said Jerry Berggren, principal architect.
“With the current economy, some might like to think about new construction, but I think working with an existing building is going to be the future,” he added.
Boyd Jones has experienced consistent and manageable growth over the last few years Schuler said. In 2011, the company worked on several projects in Lincoln with clients including: the state and federal government, higher education, K-12, retail and local industry.
“Public-private partnerships are becoming more common as cities and universities look for ways to meet facility needs without adding debt to their balance sheet,” he added. Another trend is greater interest in a construction management type of project delivery rather than design, bid and build.
“Our Lincoln office is proving to have a positive impact on the city by serving as our base of operations in Greater Nebraska and neighboring states,” Schuler added. The company also worked on projects in Omaha, Springview, Grand Island, Fremont, Elkhorn and North Platte.
Architecture Etcetera worked with both Lincoln and Omaha city officials in 2011 on the reEnergize program, a three-year federal grant project aimed at completing energy evaluations on 263 commercial and nonprofit buildings and energy upgrades on more than 3,100 residences.
Other active market sectors are health and wellness facilities, Joy added.
“The manufacturing sector is starting to show some life,” she said.
Replacing 10- pr 15-year-old mechanical systems is really paying off for some companies looking to make efficiency improvements in existing buildings, Berggren said.
