Construction Digital: April 2011

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Dish Network plans to close hundreds of Blockbuster Video stores

Satellite TV provider Dish Network has acquired Blockbuster Video’s assets in an auction

BY: Logan Broyles \|
TAGS: Blockbuster, Dish Network, satellite, tv, Video

Dish Network plans to close hundreds of Blockbuster Video stores

Dish Network has acquired Blockbuster's stores in an auction

Hundreds of Blockbuster Video stores will be shutting their doors soon. The video rental company is in the process of being taken over by the Dish Network and major changes are coming.

The Dish Network, the second largest provider of satellite TV in the US, purchased the rights to Blockbuster Video and all of its properties for about $320 million in an auction. Last month, Blockbuster was given permission by a bankruptcy court to sell off its remaining assets in an attempt to reduce the $1 billion debt the company had built up.

The Dish Network filed documents with bankruptcy court over the weekend listing which Blockbuster stores it intends to keep open. The deal is expected to be finalized sometime in the next few weeks, giving the satellite TV provider control over the leases of almost 2,000 properties currently run by the Dallas-based Blockbuster Video.

Blockbuster currently owns 1,751 stores in the US, but Dish Network only plans to keep about 600 of them open. That leaves over a 1,000 former Blockbuster properties that won’t have their leases renewed.

So far, Dish Network hasn't indicated that it will extend the leases of the multi-floor corporate headquarters in downtown Dallas or the 850,000 square-foot distribution center in McKinney, Texas .

At its peak Blockbuster operated about 4,000 stores in the US.

However, it appears that Dish Network only acquired the company to take advantage of its online video services and will only maintain a fraction of the physical video sites.The satellite TV provider hopes to release a digital streaming service that...Read the rest of the article at:

http://www.constructiondigital.com/sectors/other-construction/dish-network-plans-close-hundreds-blockbuster-video-stores

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Rahm Emanuel names new CTA President for Chicago

Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel announces pick for new CTA President

BY: Logan Broyles \|
TAGS: Chicago, CTA, Emanuel, mayor, obama, president, Rahm

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has picked new CTA president

On Tuesday, Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel announced his pick for the new president of the Chicago Transit Authority. Forrest Claypool, a veteran of Chicago’s City Hall, will now be the head of the CTA.

Emanuel, the former Chief of Staff for President Obama, was elected Chicago’s Mayor back in February after six-term incumbent Richard M. Daley retired. Claypool has been a longtime colleague of Emanuel’s and served on his transportation transition committee in the month leading up to the Mayor being sworn in.

“Throughout his career, Forrest has been an independent reformer and he has fought to bring effective services to all Chicagoans,” Emanuel said. “He shares my belief that it is our most critical piece of infrastructure. Forest has the experience to capitalize on the CTAs strengths and the creative mind to guide its future.”

Claypool is also a former partner to David Axelrod, a political campaign advisor to President Obama during the 2008 election cycle. In the 80s Claypool served as Daley’s Chief of Staff and in the 90s he was the superintendent of the Chicago Park District.

At a press conference yesterday, Mayor Emanuel also announced that

....Read the rest of the article at:
http://www.constructiondigital.com/sectors/civil-engineering/rahm-emanuel-names-new-cta-president

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Earthquake hits southern Mexico

Magnitude 6.2 earthquake hits Mexico, shaking buildings and leaving one dead

BY: Logan Broyles \|
TAGS: earthquake, infrastructure, mexico, Mexico City, tsunami

Hotels were evacuated in Oaxaca, Mexico

Southern Mexico was struck by a 6.2 magnitude earthquake early Wednesday morning, leaving one man dead. Tremors were felt miles away in the capitol Mexico City, where buildings were visibly shaking and swaying back and forth.

However, the Mexican government reported no serious damage to its infrastructure.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey the earthquake struck just outside the town of Pinotepa Nacional. About 80 miles southwest in the historic city of Oaxaca several hotels were evacuated as the buildings were shaking. However, no lasting damage was made to any of the buildings and their infrastructures remain intact.

The only fatality was caused by a falling support beam in the small coastal town of San Andres Huaxpaltepec. The deceased, a 46-year old man whose name was not released, was asleep at home when the beam fell on him.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a

....Read the rest of the article at:
http://www.constructiondigital.com/sectors/civil-engineering/earthquake-hits-southern-mexico

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

China considering switch from nuclear to solar

....Read the rest of the article at:
http://www.constructiondigital.com/sectors/civil-engineering/china-considering-switch-nuclear-solar

China reconsiders plans for construction of nuclear power plants, leaning toward more solar

BY: Logan Broyles \|
TAGS: China, Chinese Government, Construction, Japan, nuclear power, photovoltaic, power plant,Solar Power, tsunami

China considering switch from nuclear to solar

China reconsiders construction of new nuclear power plants

The Chinese government is reconsidering its stance on nuclear power in light of the crisis caused by the tsunami in Japan. Initially China was planning for a massive expansion of its nuclear power plants as part of its stimulus plan created in 2008 to get the country’s economy back on track.

However, the radiation crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Japan has caused the Chinese to debate cancelling these plans and placing a greater emphasis on solar power.

On March 16 the Chinese government put a halt on approval of any new construction projects for nuclear power plants. Now China is debating further downsizing its nuclear power program and cutting some of the proposed construction projects that have already been approved.

China is already the world’s largest producer of photovoltaic systems, a method of generating electricity using solar panels to convert solar radiation into direct current electricity.

China’s production capacity hit about 4000 megawatts (MW) last year, with most of their solar panels being sold overseas. The country is now considering doubling its five year goal from five gigawatts to 10 gigawatts.

The nuclear crisis in Japan has caused countries all over the world to reconsider using more sources of renewable energy. Several countries have put a freeze on the construction of any new nuclear power plants.

Currently China has 13 active nuclear reactors, and had approved the construction of 10 more mega nuclear power plants. There are already 25 nuclear power plants currently under construction as part of China’s investment 0f $121.5 billion to increase nuclear power generation by 2020.

According to the China Nuclear Energy Association, the country had planned the construction of 60 new nuclear reactors by 2020. Even then nuclear power would only account for five percent of the country’s power generation, compared to ten percent by other