Monthly Archives: March 2013

BONDING ALTERNATIVES

On behalf of Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein, P.C. posted in Bonding and Surety on Mar 25, 2013.

While statutory requirements will keep payment and performance bonds as a mainstay of the construction market for years to come, other viable options exist and should be considered by owners, contractors, and subcontractors as alternatives to bonding. These alternatives can create the same “net effect”.

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General Services Administration Evaluating Green Buildings Policy

On behalf of Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein, P.C. posted in Green Construction on Mar 19, 2013.

The federal government currently uses the LEED 2009 rating system for construction of federal buildings. By law, however, this must be re-evaluated every 5 years. The General Services Administration has opened a public comment period as part of this re-evaluation process and will be accepting opinions on what system it should use until April.

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Work on the Easton Transit Center to Start In April

On behalf of Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein, P.C. posted in Construction Industry News on Mar 17, 2013.

Construction of Easton’s $26 million transportation center project will start in April. The final hurdle to a ground breaking later this month is approval from the Easton Historic District Commission according to Mayor Sal Panto. The development is being developed through a partnership between the city, the state of Pennsylvania, and the Lehigh and Northampton Transit Authorities.

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UPDATE: Pennsylvania House Passes Energy Efficient Construction Legislation and Sends to Senate

On behalf of Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein, P.C. posted in Green Construction on Mar 14, 2013.

We previously reported the introduction of HB 34 in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The bill, which is strongly supported by Republican Representative Kate Harper, has passed the House and now moves to the Senate for consideration.

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Remember Manslaughter Next Time You Want to Cut a Corner In Design or Construction

On behalf of Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein, P.C. posted in Construction Defect on Mar 11, 2013.

We have all seen projects where a design principle is bent a little or a construction technique is altered slightly for the sake of speed or cost. Often times, the attitude is “no harm, no foul”. But consider the other side of the situation and ask yourself what happens when there is harm. A recent case in Southern California is worth noting in that regard.

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UPDATE: Exemption List for the Steel Products Procurement Act Issued, Comment Period Open

On behalf of Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein, P.C. posted in Public Construction Projects on Mar 7, 2013.

We recently reported that the Pennsylvania legislature passed amendments to the Pennsylvania Steel Products Procurement Act that Governor Corbett signed into law. The change, which created automatic exemptions for certain products under the Act, is designed to make compliance with the law more manageable and decrease costs on state contracts.

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WHY ENTITIES LIKE SEPTA MAY USE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN CREATION OF TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENTS

On behalf of Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein, P.C. posted in Public Construction Projects on Mar 4, 2013.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (“SEPTA”) recently released its annual report focusing on the theme of sustainability, aptly titled “SEP-TAINABLE”. In that report, SEPTA commits to partnering with developers, municipalities, and other organizations to invest in various Transit-Oriented Development (“TOD”) projects, which are high-density mixed-used development projects within a half mile of public transportation. Specifically, SEPTA announced that it intends to engage in one TOD per year.

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