In most years, the big construction projects in this region
are related to the automobile industry, but 2010 saw a
diverse mix of construction break ground. The Redstone
Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala., secured some huge military
contracts, and nearby at least $1 billion in commercial
development is expected. The Huntsville Times said plans call
for 52 large office buildings holding as many as 15,000 government
workers and defense contractors, and other retail and
commercial development.
Other large
projects in the area include
Nissan’s billiondollar
battery plant in
Smyrna, Tenn., for its
LEAF electric vehicle;
the Tennessee Valley Authority’s $820 million gas-fired power
plant; and a $275 million Kentucky hospital. More than 700
construction workers at Nashville’s Opryland Resort are just
finishing up $172 million in flood damage repairs this month.
Unemployment in the region is right around the national
average of 9.6% in many markets and building is still soft
with the exception of Knoxville and Memphis, Tenn., where
permits are riding at a double-digit rate through August.
