There is not a construction worker in sight at the large apartment development at 2700 W. El Camino Real in Mountain View, after the county ordered the majority of construction come to a stop. Photo by Magali Gauthier.
Up until recently, the Bay Area's construction market was so red-hot that workers were traveling from other states to sate the heavy demand for skilled laborers. But under new restrictions imposed by public health officials, building activity that once peppered the region has abruptly reached a standstill.
In response to the spread of the new coronavirus, public health officers across six Bay Area counties introduced sweeping restrictions last month that banned numerous commercial activities, including some types of construction. Santa Clara County went a step further last week, with further prohibitions quashing most residential and commercial projects at least through the beginning of May.
Active construction sites throughout the region teeming with workers, tractors and heavy machinery have since been forced to "button up" and go dormant, pausing a yearslong surge in development in the Bay Area.
It also means one more sector of the economy with employees out of work.
"The construction economy has been devastated," said David Bini, executive director of the Santa Clara and San Benito Building and Construction Trades Council. "We have about 80% or 90% of our members out of work right now."
Under the March 31 order, only a narrow subset of construction is allowed to continue, including affordable housing projects and market-rate housing projects that include at least 10% affordable units. Public works projects deemed essential for health and safety reasons are also permitted, as are projects that provide temporary housing and shelter space.
Bini said his organization, which is affiliated with 25 labor unions, has been pushing back against the restrictions, arguing that active construction sites are not inherently a public health hazard. With some exceptions, he said more jobs fall within the recommendations on safe social distancing.
The trade council sent a letter to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors with its concerns on March 28, adding that professional boards had not been consulted, only to have the county crack down even harder on building activity three days later.
"It seemed to add insult to injury to have that second order tighten even further on construction," he said.
In the immediate term, Bini said emergency funding at the state and federal level should be enough to support Bay Area construction workers who have been forced to file for unemployment benefits. But the assistance is only a stopgap measure, and won't cover costs in the event that the prohibitions continue for multiple months.
"Most construction workers are sitting at home right now without a paycheck," he said.
What's baffling in the order, Bini said, is that it enumerates several types of construction activities that are exempt and will be allowed to continue under the public health order. Why is it not safe to build market-rate housing, he wondered, if it's safe to build affordable housing?
Another concern is that housing projects that barely penciled out financially before the crisis could wither on the vine because of delays. The cost of construction in the Bay Area -- largely considered the highest in the world and the smaller profit margin on housing projects makes them particularly susceptible to market fluctuations. In other words, entire projects may have to be scrapped.
A monthslong halt on construction definitely wasn't in the plans, said Robert Freed, president and CEO of SummerHill Homes. His company currently has four projects under construction in Mountain View, including a 211-unit project at 2700 W. El Camino Real, along with multiple others in the development pipeline. Freed said that SummerHill is in strong shape financially and will be able to keep all of its projects alive, but it is a "very big bump in the road."
Freed said he is reluctant to criticize public health officers making decisions to safeguard the public during the global pandemic, but that he does feel there is room for contractors to abide by social distancing and other safety precautions. He also found it odd that projects with affordable housing can proceed, while projects that provide in-lieu fees for affordable housing elsewhere must shut down.
Most Mountain View projects halted
As of last month, Mountain View's busy development pipeline reportedly had 24 projects currently under construction. When asked how many of them are permitted to continue and how residents are supposed to know which construction sites are exempt, city staff referred the Voice to a reference guide.
All but one project, the Shorebreeze Apartment complex at 460 N. Shoreline Blvd., appear to be prohibited by the county order. The developer for Shorebreeze, MidPen Housing, did not respond to requests for comment.
Community Development Director Aarti Shrivastava said the city is complying with the county order, and that there may have been ongoing work at construction sites over the last week as contractors finish tasks and ensure projects are safe and secure for the hiatus.
Anyone who believes building activities are continuing in violation of the county health order is asked to contact the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, which reviews and redirects complaints to local police departments for enforcement. As of Monday, the Mountain View Police Department had received 46 complaints from the DA's office for violators, resulting in three citations.
The city of Mountain View, for its part, has dropped almost all of its own municipal construction activity. Public Works Director Dawn Cameron said all but two projects have been suspended until the shelter order has been lifted, the exceptions being the Shoreline sewage pump system project and water and sewer main replacement work along Leong Drive, both of which have been deemed critical for public infrastructure.
Also still brimming with activity this week is a major landscaping operation off of Stevens Creek Trail, due south of Crittenden Lane, where tractors, workers and dozens of trucks outfitted with wood chippers are still busy. A PG&E spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday, April 8, that the location is a parking yard for contractors doing vegetation management work in the area, which is allowed to continue in the interest of public safety.
Caltrain electrification work along the train corridor is also scheduled to continue through the shelter order, with closures at the Castro Street intersection on April 11, April 13 and April 17.
Read the rest here:
Local construction, once brimming with activity, grinds to a halt - Mountain View Voice
- MN lawmakers consider $8.5 million renovation to tunnel connecting State Office Building, Capitol Minnesota Reformer - Minnesota Reformer - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Medical Office Building Report | CommercialSearch - CommercialSearch - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- MN lawmakers consider $8.5 million renovation to tunnel connecting State Office Building, Capitol - Voice Of Alexandria - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Office space opens in redeveloped historic building in Greenville's East Park District - GSA Business - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- China seeks ways to revive slowing economy and salvage property market as annual congress convenes - The Associated Press - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Digital Signage to Wrap Around Sunset Strip Office Building - The Real Deal - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- A Rainbow Office Building Brightens Up the Tokyo Streets with Prismatic Color Colossal - Colossal - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Construction begins on The Central development in St. Petersburg - Tampa Bay Times - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Construction Begins on Apartment Building in Old Town Alexandria - Alexandria Living Magazine - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Edinburgh's Stamp Office building unveils modern face-lift - Scottish Construction Now - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- The Dig: We bet you're not reading this at the office - Outlier Media - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- The Franklin, a 1917 home redeveloped into offices, opens in downtown Greenville - UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL - Upstate Business Journal - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Work Continues on King Construction Fabrication Center, Office Building - Machias Valley News Observer - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Olsson moves into new office building in Fayetteville - talkbusiness.net - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Bizzi+Bilgili, Eric Schmidt, Partner Nab Office Project Loan - The Real Deal - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Developer To Transform Century-Old Office Building Into Residence Inn - CoStar Group - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Capitol campus makeover begins with State Office Building renovation - Star Tribune - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- 'Raise that beam': Folsom Medical Office Building frame complete - UC Davis Health - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Construction nearing on State Office Building expansion, renovation - KSTP - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Uptown office building on track to open by spring 2024 - Albuquerque Business First - The Business Journals - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Deal cues up new mixed-use project in downtown Kissimmee. Here's what we know. - The Business Journals - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Construction Begins on MOB and Two Retail Buildings at Nine Mile Corner in Erie - Mile High CRE - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Construction on New FBI Office in Lexington Advances FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- New Apple campus construction in northwest Austin coming together - KVUE.com - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Designed by RODE Architects, Construction Starts on Boston's Largest Supportive Housing Development in Jamaica Plain - Boston Real Estate Times - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- The Wauwatosa high-rise tower was approved by a city board Thursday. Construction will likely begin this September - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Sterling Bay to break ground by 3Q on Lincoln Yards project - The Real Deal - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Sault Ste. Marie had a bust-out year for construction in 2021 - Northern Ontario Business - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- daaz office wraps a 'playful shell' around this school in rural iran - Designboom - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Construction of $65M sewer project aimed at ensuring continued water safety - Dayton Daily News - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Assembly committee briefed on City Hall options - kinyradio.com - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Lendlease on the move in West Adams - The Real Deal - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Interest in office space down as new building construction slows markedly - Radio Prague - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- NYC developers poised but hesitant to break ground on slew of projects - New York Post - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- Who's building in Wilmington? Pet crematory, Red Cross St. apartments, Riverlights townhomes among plans - Port City Daily - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorized to clean up wall construction sites, close gaps - KTLA - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- SF has a slew of mega housing projects on track for 2022. Here's what it could mean for the city - San Francisco Chronicle - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- First special economic zone IT office space of Taurus by November 2022 - The New Indian Express - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- Permanent home: Knowledge Services owners move business to new headquarters in Fishers Current - Current in Carmel - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- Remembering the startups we lost in 2021 - TechCrunch - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- What was Greater Fall River's biggest story of 2021? Use this form to cast your vote - Fall River Herald News - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- Final roar for Vancouver Red Lion Inn at the Quay - The Columbian - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- Walmarts new Home Office is the largest mass timber ... - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- LMN Architects completes new office building in the US - DesignBuild Network - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- Bottleworks' second phase moving ahead with no residential but greater emphasis on office space - Indianapolis Business Journal - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- Bamboo Farm Office: Headquarters of a Prototype Farm Growing Sustainable Construction Materials / Ingvartsen Architects - ArchDaily - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- New Minot City Hall design approved, bids for construction to begin soon - KX NEWS - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- Yet another delay in Washington post office's construction? - Rappahannock News - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- Downtown business dominoes are falling thanks in part to ongoing multi-unit housing construction - KGET 17 - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- With nearly $50M in sales booked, developer begins work on phase two of luxury tower - Business Observer - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- Governor Hochul Announces Progress on $38 Million Affordable Housing Development in Rochester - Homes and Community Renewal - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- Swinerton VP: Construction tech just another tool for workers to wield - Construction Dive - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- Ask the R-S mailbag: $10 million in traffic improvements needed for new Bethel campus - Record Searchlight - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- As CTC winds down its 2021 slate, its future looks bigger than ever literally - The Independent - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- HATCHspaces and NexCore Group JV Expand Their Partnership With a New 100000 SF Lab-Enabled Office Project Along the Expo Light Rail Line in West Los... - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- Building, construction, and design roundtable - Utah Business - Utah Business - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- New office building will anchor Allen mixed-use project - The Dallas Morning News - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Amazon unveils design for the second phase of its Virginia HQ - Construction Specifier - The Construction Specifier - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Not Another Future of the Office Article - Propmodo - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Who's building where in Acadiana? Here are the building permits issued Jan. 25-29 - The Advocate - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Illustrating the Impact of Project Commodore, Midtown's Future Tallest Building, on the New York Skyline - New York YIMBY - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- COVID-19 has given Dallas-Fort Worth one of the highest office vacancies in the nation - The Dallas Morning News - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Bostons in a lab-building boom. What will that mean for the city and its neighborhoods? - BetaBoston - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- 96-Acre Logistics Center with Up to 900,000 Sq. Ft. of Warehouse Space Planned for Curtis Bay - SouthBMore.com - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Global EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) Market Report 2020: Market to Reach $8.7 Billion by 2027 - Focus on Automotive, Building &... - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Top 10 LEED-Certified Buildings in Texas in 2020 - Commercial Property Executive - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- "Mrs. Henderson worked with architects Paul J. Pelz and Jules T. Crow to propose the construction of a large mansion for the chief executive atop... - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Springdale council to consider votes to spend $1.5 million more for city hall project - Arkansas Online - February 2nd, 2021 [February 2nd, 2021]
- Governor Cuomo Announces $30 Million in Awards to Finance Construction and Services for 1200 Supportive Housing Units - ny.gov - February 2nd, 2021 [February 2nd, 2021]
- U.S. Embassy in New Delhi breaks ground on expansion - Building Design + Construction - February 2nd, 2021 [February 2nd, 2021]
- Construction financing secured for two Union Square assets in Somerville - Boston Real Estate Times - February 2nd, 2021 [February 2nd, 2021]
- New creative office space completes in Silicon Beach - Building Design + Construction - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Perkins&Will reimagines an earthquake-battered Anchorage office building as a glacier-like landmark - The Architect's Newspaper - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Pandemic Leads to Sharp Pullback in Commercial and Multifamily Construction Starts in 2020 - Construction.com - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- New construction to bring clinic, lab, car wash, homes - Shawnee News Star - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- COVID-19 took a toll on Dallas-Fort Worths construction starts in 2020 - The Dallas Morning News - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Aaron Retherford Named To Building Design + Construction's 40 Under 40 Class of 2020 - Suburban Journals - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- 1,031-Foot Tall 66 Hudson Boulevard, aka The Spiral, Tops Out Over Hudson Yards, Manhattan - New York YIMBY - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- 2021 State of Construction Industry: A Forecast for Uncertain Times - ForConstructionPros.com - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Grand Junction Steel has asbestos remediated from offices - The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]