The Daily Reporter articles from October 2003

The Daily Reporter archives from October 2003

Founder fashions design firm around his interests.
October 1, 2003... Byline: Candace Doyle Barrientos Design & Consulting LLC has been around since 1972, when Julian Barrientos started the company as an engineering firm.Now, though, the firm's major focus is architecture - and reasonably so, since son...

Commentary: What do numbers mean these days?
October 1, 2003... Byline: Donald Croysdale Is it my imagination, or are we being inundated by numbers? I had never heard of a company called Acxiom until it was referred to in a story of presidential candidate Wesley Clark, who is on its board of directors...

$94 million award vacated.
October 1, 2003... Byline: Sean Ryan Widows of the three Miller Park crane accident victims will take their case to the Wisconsin Supreme Court after an appeals court Tuesday wiped away their $94 million award.Wisconsin's 1st District Court of Appeals voted...

Congress approves five-month spending extension for Federal Highway Administration.
October 1, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Congress last week narrowly averted a shutdown of the Federal Highway Administration by approving a five-month spending extension.The massive six-year federal surface transportation bill, known as the Transportation...

Oak Creek Target store planned.
October 1, 2003... Byline: Mark Kass A Milwaukee development firm has proposed a multimillion dollar, 153,000-square-foot retail center on South Howell Avenue in Oak Creek that would include a Target Department store.The 123,680-square-foot Target store...

Madison takes aim at big box retailers.
October 2, 2003... Byline: Mark Kass The city of Madison is considering implementing standards that would severely change the look and development of big box retail stores that have popped up all over the city."A lot of these developments are not very...

Commentary: Voice your opposition to project-labor agreements.
October 2, 2003... Byline: John Mielke The Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin has been a long- time opponent of project-labor agreements particularly when they are applied to public projects. Until recently, the use of PLAs on public projects...

Groups try to block We Energies settlement.
October 2, 2003... Byline: Sean Ryan The Sierra Club and Clean Wisconsin went to We Energies' doorstep in Milwaukee Wednesday to announce a bid to quash the company's settlement agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency.We Energies, the EPA and the...

Milwaukee ranks 30th of 75 most-congested cities.
October 2, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell It might have sometimes seemed like more, but drivers in the Milwaukee area spent more than 40 hours of their time stuck in traffic in 2001, according to a new study.And at 40 hours, Milwaukee ranked 30th among the...

SDS Architects devoted to education.
October 2, 2003... Byline: Sean Ryan Teachers in northwestern Wisconsin have ordered a lot of rambunctious students to sit quietly in corners designed by SDS Architects.This year, the Eau Claire firm blew out the candles on 50 years of architecture devoted...

Commentary: Constructive Comments October 3, 2003.
October 3, 2003... Byline: Dick Snow The weather, being what it is, has the construction industry stoking up for the winter's hot stove league in respect to a few legislative and/or government agency initiatives.Here're some observations, not necessarily to...

KPH Construction to appeal labor board's ruling.
October 3, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell A war of words between an asbestos contractor and the Laborers union in Milwaukee is headed for the nation's Capitol.KPH Construction Corp., Milwaukee, announced Thursday that it would appeal a local National Labor...

New urbanism retail center planned.
October 3, 2003... Byline: Mark Kass A $31 million, 190,000-square-foot shopping center has been proposed for the site of the Storm's Driving Range on West Blue Mound Road, which could help spur the redevelopment of the office and retail market near...

Commentary: Justice was blind in lawsuit over ironworkers' deaths.
October 3, 2003... Byline: Daily Reporter Staff A pained-looking Kano Saito, vice president of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of America's Milwaukee office, said the 1st District Court of Appeals' decision to vacate the $94 million award in the Big Blue case...

We Energies rethinks plans for Oak Creek power plant.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell We Energies last week acknowledged the shortcomings of a key component of its Power the Future plan and asked state regulators to hold off on fully approving the third piece of its three-unit proposal for Oak...

President Bush promises job creation.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Sean Ryan President George Bush, at his $1 million fund-raiser in Milwaukee Friday, pledged to stabilize Iraq, create more jobs, reform federal energy policy and win Wisconsin in the 2004 election."Anytime anybody is looking for...

LaFarge School District sets fourth referendum.
October 6, 2003... Byline: Chris Thompson Referendum is a loaded word for the LaFarge School District.A disputed vote from a 2000 School District referendum for $2.4 million has reached the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which will hear oral arguments on the case...

Commentary: Nat'l Labor Relations Board considers expanding organizing rights.
October 6, 2003... Byline: John Finerty A case pending before the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C., will decide the extent to which employees of a subcontractor have the right to organize unrepresented employees on another employer's...

Development firm trying to force Milwaukee to change location of condo project.
October 7, 2003... Byline: Mark Kass The Milwaukee development firm building the $52 million Kilbourn Tower condominium high rise in downtown is trying to force the city of Milwaukee to change the location of a proposed adjacent condominium project, alleging...

Wisconsin's mold bill takes form.
October 7, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Since bursting onto the construction scene a few years ago, mold has never gone away, but a state lawmaker wants to help eradicate the problem.Rep. Terese Berceau, D-Madison, is assembling a bill that would require...

Commentary: A letter to Milwaukee mayoral candidates.
October 7, 2003... Byline: Mark Moroney It appears as though everyone who is going to announce his or her candidacy has done so. There are five months left until the primary election that will whittle your ranks down to two. You are refining your platforms...

Milwaukee city panel OKs $75 million tower.
October 8, 2003... Byline: Mark Kass A Milwaukee city committee cleared the way Tuesday for construction of the $75 million University Club Tower.The Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee dismissed an abutting developer's claim of preferential...

Contractor associations ask state to lower retainage.
October 9, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Contractor associations renewed their battle Wednesday to decrease the amount of money government owners hold back on project payments."Construction is the only industry where a contractor delivers 100 percent of his...

Gov. Doyle vows to recover manufacturing jobs.
October 9, 2003... Byline: Sean Ryan While introducing his Grow Wisconsin plan to business leaders in Milwaukee Wednesday, Gov. Jim Doyle blamed some manufacturing job losses on a lack of trade-agreement enforcement by the federal government."We need to make...

Milwaukee committee put hold on proposed financing for $42M development.
October 9, 2003... Byline: Mark Kass A Milwaukee committee has put on hold a proposed tax incremental financing district for a $42 million mixed-use development at North 6th and West State streets.The city's Zoning, Neighborhood and Development Committee...

Commentary: LaFarge voters should approve school district referendum.
October 10, 2003... Byline: Daily Reporter Staff LaFarge School District voters need to know the difference between financial frigidity and fiscal austerity.If they don't, the 1901 facility that serves as the elementary, middle and high schools for 271 of...

Commentary: Constructive Comments October 10, 2003.
October 10, 2003... Byline: Dick Snow Taxpayers are extremely restless, as evidenced by the recall replacing Gray Davis with Arnold Schwarzenegger as California's governor.Whether this will work for California, only time will tell, but Hollywood can work its...

Smart Growth debate begins.
October 10, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The prevailing winds in Madison appear to point to revising the state's Smart Growth planning law, with some lawmakers saying that they want to repeal it altogether.Citizens from around the state packed a hearing...

WisPark LLC to develop 140-acre parcel in St. Francis.
October 10, 2003... Byline: Sean Ryan Early next year, WisPark LLC should have a development plan drawn up to map out green spaces and building concepts for the 140-acre parcel it owns in St. Francis."We can have open space and preserve the natural aspects of...

Arquitectura Inc. founders enjoy being a small firm.
October 10, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Sometimes there's this sense, embodied in the image of the Ivory Tower, that academics live in a world apart, removed as observers rather than participants in the fray.Harry Van Oudenallen and Nicolas Cascarano,...

$204 million city of Milwaukee capital budget reviewed.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Dick Snow The city of Milwaukee has proposed a $204 million capital budget for 2004, including funds for several new municipal buildings and the long-awaited extension of West Canal Street in the Menomonee Valley.The proposed...

Contractors question fairness of Wisconsin's competitive bidding law for public jobs.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Sean Ryan The state's competitive bidding law remains supreme on public jobs, this time silencing a suggestion to put a local contractor preference on the $18 million Door County Justice Center project."It really favors the county...

Interview with mayor of Madison.
October 13, 2003... Byline: Daily Reporter Staff Name: Dave Cieslewicz (pronounced Chess-LEV-ich)Occupation: Madison mayor, elected April 2003Comment upon being elected: "Well, that worked out OK."Hometown: MilwaukeeBackground: Co-founder and former executive...

Highway 83 plan advances.
October 14, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The state Department of Transportation is moving ahead with its long-range plan to widen Highway 83 in Waukesha County, and it could do so without public outcry.WisDOT last week released a draft environmental impact...

Danny's Construction Co. to pay fine for accident.
October 14, 2003... Byline: Chris Thompson Danny's Construction Co. Inc. will pay a $4,000 fine stemming from a May 6 accident in which a Danny's employee died on the Cathedral Place project in downtown Milwaukee.The company, based in Shakopee, Minn., was a...

Hunzinger Construction seeks $1.8 million from developer.
October 14, 2003... Byline: Mark Kass Hunzinger Construction Co. is seeking $1.8 million from the developer of the $50 million Kilbourn Tower condominium project in downtown Milwaukee, alleging that the firm was excluded from building the high-profile...

WisDOT merges programs.
October 15, 2003... Byline: Sean Ryan The state Department of Transportation has combined its disadvantaged business enterprise program and Bureau of Environment, hoping to make them more proactive and collaborative."We'd like to get out of the reactionary...

OSHA asked to prove its cases.
October 15, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Construction associations are lining up behind a congressional proposal allowing small companies to recoup attorneys' fees after successfully challenging a workplace citation.U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood, R-Georgia, has...

University Club Tower rezoning OK'd.
October 15, 2003... Byline: Mark Kass The Milwaukee Common Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the rezoning of a key parcel near Prospect Avenue and Wells Street that will allow for the construction of a $75 million condominium tower in downtown...

New OSHA forms available.
October 16, 2003... Byline: Don Moen The revised OSHA Form 300, Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, is now available on the agency's Web site, http://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/new-osha300form1-1-04.pdf. The form, required for employers to use in...

Milwaukee Connector study gets federal funding.
October 16, 2003... Byline: Sean Ryan The Milwaukee Connector study woke up from a yearlong hiatus because area foundations pitched in $400,000 to match the federal funds needed to start the environmental impact studies.The Milwaukee Connector is a program to...

War chests of senatorial candidates growing.
October 16, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell The fund-raising campaign is already heating up for next year's U.S. Senate election, with a construction executive and a car dealer pouring their own money into the race.Tim Michels, vice president of Michels Corp.,...

Tower Automotive site targeted for redevelopment.
October 16, 2003... Byline: Mark Kass City of Milwaukee officials will propose a tax incremental financing district in 2004 to help spur the redevelopment of the 148-acre Tower Automotive Inc. site on Milwaukee's northwest side into a business park.News of...

Commentary: Constructive Comments October 17, 2003.
October 17, 2003... Byline: Dick Snow We are in for another case history that'll demonstrate the importance of treating contract documents with TLC.We refer to the controversy surrounding the construction of the Kilbourn Tower.In brief, chronologically:1. The...

Assembly Speaker Gard threatens to sue Gov. Doyle.
October 17, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Assembly Speaker John Gard is willing to take Gov. Jim Doyle to court again, this time over Doyle's transportation funding plan."I hope we can find some common ground, but if I can't, I will sue the guy," said Gard,...

Whitefish Bay reviewing commercial, residential projects.
October 17, 2003... Byline: Mark Kass Whitefish Bay is reviewing four commercial and residential projects proposed for a key site near East Silver Spring and North Lake drives as part of the village's effort to redevelop its central business district.The...

Commentary: Federal bill would help small contractors fight against frivolous citations.
October 17, 2003... Byline: Daily Reporter Staff Construction attorneys charge, on average, $225 an hour fighting citations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.Depending on a variety of factors, an attorney could spend anywhere from five to...

Oscar J. Boldt chosen for Interdisciplinary Research Complex project.
October 20, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell State government last week rounded out its lineup for the $160 million Interdisciplinary Research Complex project, selecting a construction manager to join the design team.Oscar J. Boldt Construction, a division of...

We Energies' ratings lowered.
October 20, 2003... Byline: Mark Kass Two national investment-rating agencies have lowered their ratings of We Energies based on concerns about the company's debt and its reliance on asset sales to fund a portion of its $7 billion Power the Future capital...

Milwaukee Metro Sewerage District delays project's OK.
October 21, 2003... Byline: Sean Ryan The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Commission Monday delayed approval of a $4.9 million project to await a resolution on a dispute with low bidder Michels Pipeline over an alleged July wastewater spill.The...

Wisc. State Building Commission calls conference.
October 21, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell State Building Commission members have called for a conference to discuss the University of Wisconsin System's repeated moves to waive state bidding requirements.Rep. Dan Vrakas, R-Hartland, who leads the panel's...

Gov. Doyle, Republicans strike deal on transportation bonding.
October 22, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell After striking a pact Monday on transportation bonding, Gov. Jim Doyle and Republican legislative leaders are acting swiftly to seal the deal.The Joint Finance Committee was slated Tuesday to ratify a bill that caps...

Milwaukee police station's cost triple.
October 22, 2003... Byline: Mark Kass A critical audit of the new 3rd District Milwaukee Police Station, which found that the project will end up costing $64 million, triple its original estimate, has prompted a Milwaukee alderman to pledge to introduce...

Department of Natural Resources: Utility's proposal meets standards.
October 23, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell State environmental regulators have given We Energies' proposed power plant in Oak Creek a preliminary clean bill of health, a diagnosis opposition groups will likely dispute.Earlier this month, the state Department...

Construction of $6.5M mixed-use project begins.
October 23, 2003... Byline: Mark Kass A Waukesha development partnership has begun construction on a $6.5 million condominium and commercial development on North Oakland Avenue in Shorewood.The development, being undertaken by a joint venture of The...

Commentary: The Green Built Home Initiative.
October 23, 2003... Byline: Matt Moroney A couple of years ago, the Metropolitan Builders Association was approached by Green Built Home asking that the association support and promote the new green building program through the Green Built Home Initiative....

Union: Calpine Corp. reneged on project-labor agreement.
October 24, 2003... Byline: Sean Ryan Calpine Corp. Wednesday broke ground on the $230 million Fox Energy Center in Kaukauna, which will employ more than 400 workers during peak construction.More than 180 members of the Northeast Wisconsin Building and...

Owners of Commerce Center Shopping Center seeking plans for revitalization.
October 24, 2003... Byline: Mark Kass The Commerce Center Shopping Center on West Bradley Road in Brown Deer could be acquired, along with an adjacent vacant Kohl's Food Stores, and demolished as village officials try to bring about a redevelopment of the...

Commentary: Constructive Comments October 24, 2003.
October 24, 2003... Byline: Dick Snow Earlier this week, we stopped at Camp Randall in Madison to talk Xs and Os with Badger Football Coach Barry Alvarez, kind of give him sage and very senior advice on how to handle the remainder of the Big 10 season.Funny...

Two residential projects proposed near downtown Milwaukee.
October 27, 2003... Byline: Mark Kass A Chicago development firm has proposed two residential projects for the Brewers Hill neighborhood near downtown Milwaukee that would add 217 condominiums to the neighborhood, including a seven-story condominium tower.The...

Commentary: Offhand remarks can lead to trouble, trial for employers.
October 27, 2003... Byline: John Finerty Most employment claims are settled or decided in favor of the employer. Employees who sue employers have a difficult road because most supervisors are sophisticated enough to avoid creating direct evidence of...

Wisc.'s permitting approval process to be streamlined.
October 28, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell Gov. Jim Doyle and state legislative leaders have agreed to make significant changes to the permitting process for utility and transmission-line projects.Under the pact, the state Public Service Commission and the...

Commentary: Beyond the bargaining table.
October 28, 2003... Byline: Mike Fabishak It's all too easy to view collective bargaining as the be all and end all of labor-management interaction. One of the greatest challenges (and opportunities) facing the construction industry today is how to parlay...

Critics say We Energies' figures faulted.
October 29, 2003... Byline: Sean Ryan Critics say We Energies gave the Public Service Commission higher capital costs and lower operational efficiency numbers than is customary for the third, and cleanest, Elm Road Station generation unit.We Energies said the...

Wisconsin panel approves $3M Hmong Cultural Center.
October 29, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell A top state legislative panel made a late addition to the two-year building budget on Tuesday, voting to approve a $3 million Hmong Cultural Center in Milwaukee.The project is a legacy of state Sen. Gary George,...

Wisconsin to allow We Energies to build proposed power plants.
October 30, 2003... Byline: Jeremy Harrell We Energies can build two of its three proposed coal-fired power plants in Oak Creek, state regulators agreed Wednesday.But the three members of the Public Service Commission sided with previous findings that the...

Families of ironworkers killed in crane accident petition Wisc. Supreme Court.
October 30, 2003... Byline: Sean Ryan The families of the three ironworkers killed in the Miller Park crane accident petitioned the state Supreme Court Tuesday to reverse last month's appeals court decision that vacated a $94 million punitive damages...

League of Municipalities conference touts design/build.
October 31, 2003... Byline: Sean Ryan Shared revenue and 2004 budgets were the hot topic at this year's League of Municipalities conference, but local leaders also got encouragement to use design/build on their projects."The question we wrestle with every...

Commentary: Constructive Comments October 31, 2003.
October 31, 2003... Byline: Dick Snow It was heartening to note that Lyle Balistreri, president, Milwaukee Building & Construction Trades Council, and Mike Fabishak, executive vice president, Associated General Contractors of Greater Milwaukee, co-authored a...