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Construction contracts, like other contracts, are meant to define the relationship between the parties. In that regard, the parties are generally free to negotiate the terms of that contract. It is only where the contractual language at issue is contrary to statute, against public policy, or is unreasonable, will a court decline to enforce the contract as negotiated between the parties.

The ripple effects of hybrid work (in office and at home) have been substantial. Untethered from their offices, residents have left urban centers and shifted their lives elsewhere, according to a recent report by McKinsey, a major global consulting firm.

HAMILTON, NJ—Recently released new data from Dodge Construction Network found that the value of commercial and multifamily construction starts across the top 10 metropolitan areas of the U.S. fell 10% in the first half of 2023, relative to that of 2022. Nationally, commercial and multifamily construction starts fell 14% on a year-to-date basis through June.

CARMEL, NY–Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne hosted a townhall-style meeting on Aug. 3 to address Putnam Valley residents about the much-anticipated Peekskill Hollow Road construction project. Nearly 100 residents of Putnam Valley attended the event to hear from representatives of the county and from the selected contractor, ELQ Industries, Inc., about the company’s plans to finish the project.

TARRYTOWN, NY—Eighteen college and graduate students will begin the fall semester each with a $5,000 grant from the Louis G. Nappi Construction Labor-Management Scholarship Fund for studies in Engineering, Architecture, Mathematics and Applied Sciences for the 2023-2024 academic year. The announcement of the $90,000 in scholarships awards was made by John Cooney, Jr., executive director of the Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc.

GOSHEN, NY—Orange County officials broke ground on Aug. 3 on a new Medical Examiner’s Office being built adjacent to the county’s Emergency Services Center on Wells Farm Road here.

Power saws, shears, presses and other machines typically used in construction require one or more methods of machine guarding to protect operators from the hazards created by using these machines, and companies cannot merely delegate such duty to its own employees.

ALBANY—New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced earlier this month that a major project recently completed by the New York State Department of Transportation—The Kew Gardens Interchange—was named a winner of the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials region in the “Best Use of Technology & Innovation, Large Project” category.

WASHINGTON—More than 222,000 U.S. bridges need major repair work or should be replaced, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) analysis of the recently released U.S. Department of Transportation 2023 National Bridge Inventory (NBI) database released on Aug. 16. That figure represents 36% of all U.S. structures.

By their very nature, family businesses in the construction industry can thrive on the strength of relationships that run deeper than those between unrelated co-workers. Accordingly, family-run construction businesses present challenges specific to their structure and ownership. Only 30% of family-owned businesses survive into the second generation, and a mere 12% carry into the third, according to the Family Business Alliance. This indicates that many of these businesses may not have the proper guidance to assist with generational planning.