Construction summit scheduled for March 26-27 in N.O.

03/19/2009

By Angelle Bergeron

The 2009 Construction Critical Issues Summit, scheduled for March 26-27 at the InterContinental Hotel in New Orleans, will include presentations by public works projects owners, advice on legal and legislative issues, and practical solutions for dealing with new codes and change orders.

The first such summit was held following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which  created one of the biggest rebuilding projects in the nation’s history.

At this year’s summit, there will also be a panel on alternative delivery methods that includes discussions of design build as well as new contracting vehicles being used by the Corps to advance its work to bring the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System to 100-year levels of protection by 2011.

“Louisiana has been somewhat blessed by being shielded from the construction recession that has hit the rest of the country,” says Ken Naquin, chief executive officer of the Louisiana Associated General Contractors, which is co-hosting the summit with the Louisiana chapters of the American Institute of Architects and the American Council of Engineering Companies. “We’ve got all of the Corps of Engineers work, the City of New Orleans turning lots of new work loose, surplus money going into coastal restoration and highways, as well as new stimulus money.”

The LAGC conducted the first summit in 2006, following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, but this is the first year the AIA and ACEC will be co-sponsors.

“It’s a benefit because we talk about issues in construction that affect the design community as well,” Naquin says. “It’s important to have the whole team - designers, owners and contractors -all in the same room”

There’s still time to register for the 2009 Construction Critical Issues Summit at http://www.lagc.org/index.cfm?md=pagebuilder&tmp=home&pid=62.

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