Building Activity Soars
2008 Forecast for Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Eastern Missouri
Construction Forecast
12/20/2007

By: Tom Hale

On the building side, Louisville, Indianapolis and Chicago are the region’s hot beds for construction. In downtown Louisville, initial work is proceeding for Museum Plaza, a $490-million, 62-story skyscraper complex that will house 165 luxury condominiums, 300,000 square feet of office space, a Westin Hotel, and the University of Louisville’s Master of Fine Arts Program.

Also in Louisville, plans have been announced for the $250-million Center City District development district, featuring new retail stores, a movie theatre, a boutique hotel, condominiums, restaurants, and the creation of a venue for minor league hockey.

In Indianapolis, officials have unveiled plans for the $325-million JW Marriott Complex in downtown Indianapolis, which will include a 29-story JW Marriott tower – the city’s largest convention hotel. Meanwhile, construction of Lucas Oil Stadium is heading toward completion later this year. The new stadium will replace the RCA Dome, which be demolished to make room for the Indiana Convention Center expansion – slated to begin in spring/summer.

Many residential and mixed-use developments are in the works in Chicago. Key projects include The Chicago Spire, a 2,000-foot iconic residential building; Aqua, an 82-story mixed-use tower; and Trump International Hotel & Tower.

Other major regional building projects include the new Albert B. Chandler hospital at the University of Kentucky in Lexington; Mackey Arena renovation/expansion at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.; the University of Akron’s $61.5-million football stadium; the $238-million SSM St. Clare Health Center in Fenton, Mo.; the $50-million Health Careers & Natural Sciences Building and the $37-million Technology Education Center at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Ill.; and the $51-million Will County Adult Detention Facility Expansion project in Joliet, Ill.

There is also plenty of activity in the aviation arena. Many multimillion-dollar projects are part of the massive O’Hare Modernization Program at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. In Indy, the $1.1-billion New Indianapolis Airport – featuring a new midfield terminal – is scheduled to open in late 2008.

n the waterways, work continues on the Olmsted Locks & Dam project in Ballard County, Ky., and the rehabilitation of Wolf Creek Dam near Jamestown, Ky.