Texas Construction's Top Projects

List Ranks $3.35 Billion in Public/Private Building Projects

Luxury hospitality and housing projects - some blended - dominate this year's top projects in Texas, a ranking of projects that broke ground last year. But the top spot went to a military housing project in El Paso.

by Eileen Schwartz

Topping the project rankings this year is the Fort Bliss Military Housing Complex, which broke ground in June in El Paso. Centex Construction Co. along with its partner, GMH Military Housing, was awarded the $336.9 million contract. (Photo courtesy of Centex Construction Co.)

The 31 projects listed here are each valued at $50 million or more, and represent approximately $3.35 billion in contract values. That's about $1.53 billion more than the $2.88 billion total from last year's list of top projects. It should be noted that in past years we limited our list of the top projects to 25, and last year three of those dipped just below the $50 million mark.

Texas Construction's annual list of the state's top construction projects remains a ranking by contract value of the top commercial public and private building projects that broke ground during the previous year.

After compiling a preliminary list of projects valued at more than $50 million that broke ground in 2005, we followed up with contractors, architects and owners for the latest information on their projects. Every effort was made to obtain accurate and complete project information. Of course, we cannot guarantee that the projects listed here represent a complete list of all projects in the state that fit the top projects' criteria. Because the magazine's list is dependent upon participation of project team members - and particularly project owners - some of the projects on our preliminary list do not appear in this article. Two such projects are owned by large oil companies. One of those, under way in Port Arthur, would have topped this year's list.

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Nevertheless, the list demonstrates a strong construction marketplace in Texas despite rising costs and shortages of materials and labor.

For the second year in a row, we feature highway projects separately, ranking the top 10 TxDOT projects that broke ground in 2005. The result is an additional ranking of more than $1 billion from just 10 highway projects. That amount is not included in this overview.

Projects on this year's list cover a wide variety of the state's commercial building industry, from high-end mixed-use developments and luxury high-rises to research and retail facilities.

Topping the project rankings this year is the Fort Bliss Military Housing Complex, which broke ground in June in El Paso. Centex Construction Co. along with its partner, GMH Military Housing, was awarded the $336.9 million contract.

Dominating the list this year are projects offering luxury lodging or residential accommodations, and in some cases both. There are nine such projects here, including FaulknerUSA's Grand Hyatt at San Antonio, third on the list. The project brings luxury condos to downtown San Antonio for the first time, and features a total of 24 floors housing hotel rooms topped with nine floors of condo space.

Projects on this year’s list cover a wide variety of the state’s commercial building industry, from high-end mixed-use developments and luxury high-rises to research and retail facilities. Shown is a rendering of the $65 million Mosaic, the largest residential conversion project under way in downtown Dallas.

Arts and entertainment make a strong showing, with two major metropolitan areas undertaking the construction of new performing-arts facilities. Second on this year's list is the new $275 million Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. McCarthy Building Cos. Inc. and Linbeck Group are the project's general contractors.

Fourth on the list is the new $215 million Freeport LNG receiving terminal. Zachry Construction Corp. was selected to manage the construction and provide administrative support for its joint venture partners, Techip USA and Saipem SA.

The facility is the first LNG receiving terminal to be constructed in the U.S. in more than two decades.

K-12 and health-care projects continue to have a strong presence on the list. Twelve of the 31 projects fell into either category, with an even six in each. Rounding out the top five projects is the Methodist Hospital's new Outpatient Care Center in Houston. Hensel Phelps is the construction manager, and Broaddus & Associates is providing program management for the 1.4 million-sq.-ft. facility.

Top Projects 1-5 >>

Top Projects 6-11 >>

Top Projects 12-15 >>

Top Projects 16-25 >>

Top Projects 26-31 >>