The Daily Reporter articles from April 2004

The Daily Reporter archives from April 2004

Subdivision near downtown Milwaukee announced.
April 1, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Milwaukee's unique relationship with the freeway system again took an unusual turn Wednesday afternoon when city leaders and a developer unveiled plans for a subdivision on the near north side. Nearly 40 years...

Marquette Univ. considering construction management undergrad program.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Marquette University will begin serious consideration of a construction management undergraduate program next week after last year's survey of builders said it would help the industry. "Overall, we got a very positive...

Pieper Electric to challenge OSHA citations.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Pieper Electric Inc., Milwaukee, was hit last week with $193,500 in proposed fines for a September accident in Racine that left three workers with burn injuries. Company president Norm Doll said Pieper plans to...

Milwaukee County Research Park looking to attract health-care technology cos.
April 5, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Regional cooperation was in the air Friday as local leaders in Milwaukee County began a push to use GE Medical Systems' Wauwatosa relocation to attract other health-care technology companies. "We're very excited about...

Casino relocation task force named.
April 6, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee's mayor and county executive have named the 12 task force members who will investigate the idea of relocating the Potawatomi casino downtown from the Menomonee Valley. "We have a task force that consists of...

Boys and Girls Club breaks ground on expansion.
April 6, 2004... Byline: Jim Cryns The Boys and Girls Club of Green Bay broke ground at its Thomas H. Lutsey Unit on March 11, marking the second phase of its $5.9 million expansion of its two facilities. "I've got numbers that show where we're at half...

Bureau of Labor Statistics releases lost-time injuries report.
April 7, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Construction is not the most dangerous profession in terms of lost-time injuries, according to a new federal safety report. On the flip side, workers in some building trades, both nationally and in Wisconsin,...

Commentary: Lower gas prices - a lost opportunity.
April 7, 2004... Byline: Donald Croysdale Each spring, gas prices escalate, especially here in Wisconsin and those other areas where reformulated gas is mandated. The plain facts are that Environmental Protection Agency regulations increase the cost of the...

Commentary: Housing is winner on election night.
April 8, 2004... Byline: Matt Moroney Overall, I think Tuesday night's results bode well for housing and economic development in and around Milwaukee. Milwaukee has a new mayor in Tom Barrett. As I wrote in this column a month ago, the Metropolitan...

Presidential hopeful John Kerry visits Milwaukee.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Presidential hopeful John Kerry visited Milwaukee Thursday to take jabs at President Bush's foreign and economic policies and outline his plans for America's future. "George Bush doesn't have a record he can run on;...

Federal government considering tolls for national interstate system.
April 12, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The federal government is warming up to the idea of collecting tolls on the national interstate system, although just how that would be done remains up for grabs. When the U.S. House recently approved its version...

OSHA reduces Dorner Inc. fine.
April 12, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell After settling with federal safety authorities, Luxemburg underground contractor Dorner Inc. reduced its citations by almost two-thirds, and the company has rededicated itself to workplace safety. Last month, the...

Federal Highway Administration prohibits adjusting contracts to account for rise in steel prices.
April 13, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Surging steel prices are rippling out through construction and other industries and could cause price spikes for a wide range of goods and services, including building projects. At the same time, the Federal...

Milwaukee mayor-elect names transition team.
April 13, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee Mayor-elect Tom Barrett met Monday with his new transition team, which was quickly organized after Election Day and has a few members with construction and development backgrounds. "We looked for a diverse...

EPA to expand Wisconsin's nonattainment zone.
April 14, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The federal Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday will announce an expanded list of nationwide counties, including several in Wisconsin, that don't meet federal air-quality standards. According to a...

Commentary: Milwaukee's new mayor facing leadership challenge.
April 14, 2004... Byline: Donald Croysdale Last week, the race for mayor mercifully ended. Acting Mayor Marvin Pratt and now Mayor-elect Tom Barrett engaged in more than 30 debates - one of the best, at least relating to construction issues, being sponsored...

$21 million power line proposed.
April 15, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell As Dane County grows, so grows the demand for power, and American Transmission Co. LLC is proposing a $21 million power line for Madison's east side to meet rising consumer consumption. This fall, the...

Algiers not to seek full term as commissioner of Milwaukee Dept. of City Development.
April 15, 2004... Byline: Candace Doyle Pat Algiers said in a letter to Mayor-elect Tom Barrett on Tuesday that she will not seek a full term as commissioner of the Milwaukee Department of City Development. "I have decided to pursue other career options...

M.A. Mortenson Co. reaches safety milestone.
April 15, 2004... Byline: Brendan O' Brien M. A. Mortenson Co., a Milwaukee-area construction firm, recently eclipsed the three-year mark without a time-off injury, a milestone few in the construction industry have ever accomplished. The firm's 160...

PSC: Utility construction to boost rates.
April 16, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin's six-year forecast predicts state energy rates will increase as utility and transmission construction costs inflate to keep up with growing demand. "The state has not...

Long vacant grocery is sold.
April 16, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The saga of the former Ken Kopps grocery store in Madison appears finally to have an end in sight. On Wednesday, developer David Keller announced that a joint venture that includes his company and two others...

Miller Brewing Co. and Wisconsin Center District announce partnership agreement.
April 19, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Miller Brewing Co. announced a 12-year sponsorship agreement with the Wisconsin Center District Friday, calling the deal an affirmation of both outfits' commitment to Milwaukee. "It's a lot of money over a long period...

Milwaukee unions donate time and materials to renovate office space for WI Citizen Action Group.
April 19, 2004... Byline: Brendan O'Brien Larry Marx, co-executive director of the Wisconsin Citizen Action Group, has a lot of nerve. He also has a lot of friends. A year ago, the situation was bleak around the halls of his nonprofit organization....

Commentary: Constructive Comments: April 19, 2004.
April 19, 2004... Byline: Dick Snow Milwaukee World Festival has acquired an additional smile to its logo - Donald Smiley, a Racine native who never dropped his own smile in making the media rounds recently. Wouldn't it be interesting to see him...

Four U of Wisconsin projects OK'd.
April 20, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Gov. Jim Doyle last week signed a bill to enumerate four new university projects, but the new law contains the Legislature's most direct statement against limiting bidding on state jobs. Earlier this year, the...

Commentary: Another Department of Natural Resources barrier to growth.
April 21, 2004... Byline: Donald Croysdale Sometimes our Department of Natural Resources just does not get the message. The 2003-2004 legislative session, according to the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, has been "one of the most productive business...

Aurora Health Care plans hospital at Pabst Farms.
April 22, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Aurora Health Care announced Wednesday it plans build a new hospital in Pabst Farms that will be the centerpiece of a 184-acre campus in Summit the development will devote to medical buildings. "It will not only be a...

U of Wisconsin, Building Commission reach agreement.
April 22, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell For at least one project, state building staff, general contractors and subcontractors have reached an agreement on the growing debate over single- and multiple-prime bidding on state jobs. The University of...

The Daily Reporter honors top construction projects.
April 23, 2004... Byline: Daily Reporter Staff Calls for entries for our Top Projects magazine and awards ceremony went out at the end of December. By the Feb. 27 deadline, 120 projects had been submitted for review. Of those, we had to select 20...

Daily Reporter honors top construction projects.
April 23, 2004... Byline: Daily Reporter Staff The Daily Reporter Publishing Company honored the top building projects of 2003 at an awards ceremony Wednesday night at the Country Inn in Waukesha attended by more than 250 members of the state's construction...

Commentary: Racial issues find their way into politics.
April 23, 2004... Byline: Randy Crump Why is there such a divide between the races? Why do so many blacks see things differently from so many whites? The divide is greater than business and politics. If you don't believe it, consider the following four...

Milwaukee Public Market gets grant.
April 26, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan A $2.5 million federal grant coupled with a $2 million construction loan are propelling the Milwaukee Public Market project into construction this summer. "Our goal is to be a tightly run project that comes in on time...

Cudahy, developer planning condos in downtown district.
April 26, 2004... Byline: Brendan O' Brien With the hope of infusing a residential presence into its downtown district, Cudahy is again collaborating with a developer who plans to construct a condominium complex on property currently owned by the city. ...

Commentary: Building your work force.
April 26, 2004... Byline: Wayne Belanger There is a crisis that has been brewing within the construction industry for more than a decade. It is a problem that affects nearly every contractor and subcontractor regardless of size. Is it the price of steel?...

Hospital, Medical College eye research facility.
April 27, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan The Medical College of Wisconsin and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin are considering cooperating to build a research facility that would combine two separate projects announced three months ago. The idea is very...

Revised Taxpayers Bill of Rights proposed.
April 27, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Backers of a proposed state constitutional amendment to rein in government spending last week unveiled a revised plan, but public construction still remains in the crosshairs. State Reps. Frank Lasee, R-Bellevue,...

WisDOT revisits design/build.
April 28, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Faced with the task of delivering a big building program with fewer staff resources, the state Department of Transportation is restarting its examination of design/build. On Wednesday, agency officials are...

City of Greenfield overhauling municipal buildings.
April 28, 2004... Byline: Brendan O' Brien The city of Greenfield is on track for a significant overhaul of its undersized and overused municipal service buildings this summer. The project involves renovating the city's public works garage and fire...

Engineering students to compete in canoe building contest.
April 28, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan On Friday and Saturday, the state's up-and-coming engineers will square off to see who can build the best concrete canoe, Rube Goldberg voting machine and fast-track steel bridge. The Milwaukee School of Engineering...

Wisconsin Center District's tax revenues less than projected.
April 29, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan The economic slump that began in 2001 changed the Wisconsin Center District's tax revenues, forcing the group to reorganize its financing and delay capital projects to keep up with its bond payments. In 1996, the...

Former carpentry company owner dies at 80.
April 29, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Herbert W. "Herb" Jaeger, former carpentry company owner and past president of the Allied Construction Employers Association, died Tuesday in Hartland from complications from Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. He...

Supreme Court hears case on contractor's incorrect bid.
April 30, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The state Supreme Court will soon decide if a contractor must pay a price for submitting a wrong bid on a public project. The seven judges heard oral arguments Thursday in a case pitting James Cape & Sons Co.,...

Racine-Kenosha Builders Association builds new offices.
April 30, 2004... Byline: Brendan O' Brien The Racine-Kenosha Builders Association is exhibiting the expertise and loyalty of its membership through the construction of a new dwelling. The organization is building a 3,000-square-foot structure in...