All eyes on public sector construction opportunities in Texas

Colleges and universities have benefited from an upswing in donations and endowments. The increased funding has led to much new construction. Community colleges, facing exploding student populations, are being forced to build new facilities and/or additions to existing facilities. Cities and counties are continually launching new infrastructure projects to meet the needs of their citizens, from roadways to water systems. All of these initiatives are the basis for so much construction growth in Texas.

There is much diversity in the types of construction projects to be found. A sampling includes the following:

• The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will construct a new East Texas Fish Hatchery in Jasper, Texas. The project includes development of a water intake pump, a water distribution system to the hatchery storage reservoir, construction of a storage reservoir and production ponds, construction of a settling pond and outfall structure, construction of a hatchery office and production building, construction of a hatchery shop and storage building, construction of a truck and boat wash station and all the infrastructure, utilities and roadways piping systems.
• The Texas Department of State Health Services will build a new steel frame classroom building at its Waco Center for Youth. The 2,680-square-foot building will include four classrooms.
• The city of Austin will remodel an existing building to house Austin Energy's new Energy Control Center, the corporate data center and numerous offices. The project totals $3.5 million.
• The Harris County Hospital District will build a 10,000-square-foot building to serve as an Eligibility Center for the southwest portion of the county.
• Texas A&M University-Kingsville has planned a campus classroom project that will include classrooms, teaching spaces, renovations and enhancements to selected space in the Biology-Earth Science Hall and an adjacent 340-seat lecture hall.
• The Round Rock ISD is planning to establish a "pool" of professionals from the construction industry to assist with renovations, additions, alterations and small construction projects.

The economic forecast for Texans in 2008 is bright and the future of the construction industry is stable. This is an excellent time for companies of all types and all sizes to venture into public sector contracting.