The Daily Reporter articles from February 2004

The Daily Reporter archives from February 2004

Milwaukee Mayor Pratt says economic development is Job 1.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Candace Doyle Milwaukee Mayor Marvin Pratt in his State of the City speech Thursday night emphasized cooperation with neighboring suburbs and said he envisioned a city that was more inclusive than it has been. Pratt, who said...

WI Dept. of Transportation allows suspended companies to complete projects.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The state Department of Transportation is allowing two suspended companies to complete their work on 30 projects already under contract. "Allowing work to continue under existing contracts is in the state's best...

Construction Econ. Forum looks at road ahead for 2004.
February 2, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Builders going into the Construction Economic Forecast 2004 forum on Tuesday should walk out with a better idea of how to best ride the wave of this year's anticipated economic recovery. "The gist is we are in a...

Dane County officials unveil plan for new Regional Planning Commission.
February 3, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Racing against the clock, Dane County elected officials unveiled a plan Monday to formulate a new Regional Planning Commission to replace the panel that is set to expire in October. "I can't imagine a county...

Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation approves projects.
February 3, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Following two weeks of delay, the state Department of Transportation last week awarded the majority of projects up for bid in January. The agency had been forced to hold and place more scrutiny on the 45 jobs...

Wisconsin lawmakers say transportation spending not enough.
February 4, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell President Bush's plan for federal highway funding is meeting with stiff opposition from both parties in Congress, potentially setting up a showdown later this year. But the federal Occupational Safety and Health...

Marquette Univ., Thomas More High School promote engineering field.
February 4, 2004... Byline: Jim Cryns Marquette University's College of Engineering and Thomas More High School announced an educational partnership to encourage people to enter the field of engineering. "We have about 10,000 fewer students studying...

Wisconsin's Governor Doyle talks about state economy at Carpenters conference.
February 5, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Gov. Jim Doyle brought his message of boosting the state's economy and creating new jobs to the Carpenters union on Wednesday, although talk quickly turned to rising health-care costs. "We are going to continue...

Education, economic development are key issues in Milwaukee mayoral race.
February 6, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan The basic tenets of the leading Milwaukee mayoral candidates - better education, inner-city work-force development and attracting businesses - could be used successfully in any campaign in America. If every plan to...

Commentary: Managing a business - successfully.
February 6, 2004... Byline: Tom Bentley Whether operating and growing an existing business or boldly starting one from scratch, every week brings threats and opportunities, risk and reward, joy and disappointment. Running an operating company with products,...

Attorneys outline the dangers of bid-rigging for subcontractors associations.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Attorneys from Michael Best and Friedrich Friday told members of four subcontractor associations that there are a lot of gray areas in antitrust law, and contractors should be on guard. "Not all of this fits into...

Phoenix Sports Center to get $25 million facelift.
February 9, 2004... Byline: Brendan O' Brien The Wisconsin Department of Administration has developed plans to give the Phoenix Sports Center, home of University of Wisconsin-Green Bay athletic teams, a $25 million expansion and renovation facelift. The...

WisDOT bid-opening proceeds without upset.
February 11, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan The state Department of Transportation's bidding process returned to normal on Tuesday as the agency opened bids on 43 projects without incident. This comes one month after WisDOT temporarily withdrew four projects...

Waukesha-based Zignego Company exceeds DBE goals on Marquette Interchange work.
February 11, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan The Zignego Company Inc. will far exceed the disadvantaged business enterprise goals that the state set for the first two Marquette Interchange contracts. "We're real happy about the level of participation we were...

Germantown-based JBJ Construction proposes mixed-use development.
February 11, 2004... Byline: Jim Cryns JBJ Construction of Germantown is proposing a mixed-used development east of Highway 57 and north of Highway A to include more than 200 single-family homes, two senior housing projects with a total of 88 units, 19 duplex...

Commentary: Of faith and trust.
February 11, 2004... Byline: Donald Croysdale In the months before he died, Dad related a few stories that he thought we should know. Some he wrote on a yellow pad kept beside his chair, one of which was a remarkable story on the construction of our first home...

Wisconsin State Rep. Terese Berceau pushes for mold task force.
February 12, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell As mold has reared its head in the construction industry, controversy has surrounded everything from spiking insurance rates, when coverage is even available, to the reliability of medical science. Is mold truly...

West Allis and Pressed Steel Tank review development proposals for Six Points/Farmer's Market area.
February 12, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan West Allis and Pressed Steel Tank are reviewing three development proposals for a parcel in the Six Points/Farmer's Market area that they both own a portion of. The 17-acre lot is in the southwestern corner of the...

Commentary: Jobs Creation Act's passage gets little fanfare.
February 12, 2004... Byline: Matt Moroney It was eerie to me how quiet it was on Friday, Feb. 6. There were no fireworks, no celebrations in the street, no parades. It seemed like any other workday, and yet it was the day that the provisions in the Jobs...

African-American cultural district announced.
February 13, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee Mayor Marvin Pratt's administration kicked off its initiative to emphasize neighborhood developments by breathing life into a three-year-old plan to create an African-American cultural district on North Avenue....

Oak Creek coal plant's air permit challenged.
February 13, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Opponents of We Energies' proposal to build a coal-fired power plant facility in Oak Creek have challenged the state's air permit for the project. S.C. Johnson & Co., Racine, and Clean Wisconsin on Friday filed...

UW-Madison Board of Regents approves $40 million project for School of Business.
February 16, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan A $20 million anonymous donation set in motion a 10-year-old plan to build a $40 million addition to Grainger Hall for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Business School MBA program. "It was a very fortuitous thing...

WI Supreme Court issues decision making insurance coverage available for construction defects.
February 16, 2004... Byline: David A. Crass Many contractors are probably not aware of the significant event that occurred earlier this year. That event will increase the availability of insurance coverage for claims involving construction defects. In...

Manitowoc's policy about disclosing names of companies that pulled plans on projects draws criticism.
February 16, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell In a bid to secure the lowest prices for projects, Manitowoc's city engineer is refusing to disclose the list of companies that have pulled plans on projects. "Every director of public works should be considering...

Chicago firm is low bidder on Marquette Interchange reconstruction contract.
February 18, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The first big contract for the $810 million Marquette Interchange reconstruction project in Milwaukee appears to be headed out of state. Walsh Construction Co., Chicago, distanced itself from two Wisconsin-based...

Opposition to Delafield shopping center stalls project.
February 18, 2004... Byline: Brendan O' Brien A project to build Village Square, a big box shopping center in Delafield, hangs in the balance as municipal officials, developers, residents and attorneys grapple over the development's legality and its impact on...

Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District using new device to reduce storm-water flow.
February 18, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is using a cheap new device on Hopkins Street that allows it to reduce storm-water flow into the deep tunnel without compromising environmental protection. In about a...

Wisconsin Minority Business Opportunity Committee celebrates its first year.
February 19, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan The Wisconsin Minority Business Opportunity Committee, enjoying support from federal, state and local governments, is looking to expand its contracting database to help more private owners find minority firms. "We...

Univ. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee plans to redevelop the Kenilworth Bldg. embroiled in controversy.
February 20, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The State Building Commission voted Wednesday to send the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee back to the drawing board for its plan to redevelop the Kenilworth Building. In the last year, the university solicited...

Milwaukee Redevelopment Authority says no to community benefits.
February 20, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee's Redevelopment Authority Thursday rejected a call to place community benefits mandates on a project that would build a $30 million hotel by the Midwest Express Center. The authority unanimously voted to...

FAA selects Milwaukee-based Toki and Associates to renovate their facilities.
February 20, 2004... Byline: Brendan O' Brien The Federal Aviation Administration recently selected Toki and Associates Inc., a Milwaukee-based, minority-owned architecture and engineering firm, to assist in rejuvenating the agency's facilities. Toki and...

Wisconsin's state building program considers modifying its bidding process.
February 23, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell A growing number of requests to suspend normal bidding procedures on state projects could lead the state building program to modify its bidding process. At Wednesday's State Building Commission meeting, more than...

Stubenrauch closing affects Door County project.
February 24, 2004... Byline: Chris Thompson There's a lot of uncertainty surrounding The Stubenrauch Architects Inc. following the company's recent decision to close its Appleton office. "All I know is they literally shut down the Appleton office on Feb....

The Daily Reporter and several Milwaukee contracting organizations plan mayoral forum.
February 24, 2004... Byline: Daily Reporter Staff The Daily Reporter, the Associated General Contractors of Greater Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council and a host of other contracting organizations are planning a mayoral forum...

Commentary: Making a difference in voter involvement.
February 24, 2004... Byline: Mike Fabishak There can be no doubt about it; We are living in an era of very close elections. Everyone remembers the week of chad-counting in Florida after the 2000 election, but few realize that in that election less than 10,000...

University of Wisconsin-River Falls plans "green" student union.
February 25, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The University of Wisconsin-River Falls could soon be home to the nation's first certified "green" student union, but that designation is, literally and figuratively, up in the air. The school and the designers...

Private Industry Council's REACH program secures $24M federal grant.
February 25, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan With a $24 million federal grant and a $1 million loan guarantee from Milwaukee County, the Private Industry Council is set to move and expand its job training programs. "We have 1,600 young people in the program,"...

Holmen planning school addition.
February 25, 2004... Byline: Jim Cryns On April 6, Holmen School District voters will be asked to approve spending $8.62 million for a new middle school addition and new district offices. The proposal to go before voters includes demolishing an...

Commentary: That vision thing - Milwaukee style.
February 25, 2004... Byline: Donald Croysdale Sooner or later, one of the mayoral candidates will express his vision for Milwaukee. Or at least, let's hope so. The recent study by George Lightbourn and Stephen Agostini details a decline of our state's flagship...

Hammel Green and Abrahamson Inc. selected for $46 million lakefront project.
February 26, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan After Pier Wisconsin's new designs received a warm welcome from decision-makers on Saturday, the $46 million project's organizers feel confident it will come to fruition. "Of everyone that was in the crowd, there was...

Milwaukee-based Berghammer Construction Corporation adds to staff.
February 26, 2004... Byline: Daily Reporter Staff Berghammer Construction Corporation announced two new additions to the executive staff. George C. Minnich has joined the company as senior vice president and principal, and Craig R. Reisinger as director of...

Oconomowoc-based MSI General Corporation announces promotion.
February 26, 2004... Byline: Daily Reporter Staff David H. Keck has been promoted at MSI General Corporation, Oconomowoc, to vice president of sales and marketing. He received his bachelor's degree from California State University in Fresno and started his...

Milwaukee-based Ogden & Company Inc. has new property manager.
February 26, 2004... Byline: Daily Reporter Staff Ogden & Company Inc. announced that Deborah Geralts has recently joined the staff as a property manager in the Condominium Division. She brings with her 25 years of banking and real estate experience and is the...

Michele Hood joins Brookfield-based Total Team Construction LLC.
February 26, 2004... Byline: Daily Reporter Staff Michele Hood has joined the team of Total Team Construction LLC as the director of business development as of January. Hood has more than 18 years of construction-management experience to add to the team. ...

Engberg Anderson Design Partnership announces new principals.
February 26, 2004... Byline: Daily Reporter Staff Engberg Anderson Design Partnership is pleased to announce the following new principals. Cynthia Gall, ASID, is a leader of the interior design group and is appreciated by corporate clients for planning and...

Associated General Contractors and OSHA sign safety pact in Madison.
February 27, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The Associated General Contractors and state and federal officials signed a landmark statewide safety partnership on Wednesday. "We look forward to a successful partnership and a long relationship," said AGC...

Milwaukee's 22-acre Pabst City project to begin in spring.
February 27, 2004... Byline: Sean Ryan The 22-acre Pabst City project is off and running, with its developers intensifying work to gain city and historic preservation approvals in anticipation of a spring construction start. "We looked at this as a...

Consensus on MMSD bill remains out of reach.
February 28, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Proponents of a bill allowing the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District to use design/build on a handful of projects are running out of time to gain elusive industry consensus. After four years without a...