This is the post excerpt.
This is my very first post. With this blog, we hope to cover the construction industry issues that are important to the AEC industry in Pennsylvania. While the Keystone Contractors Association cover most of the state, we may not be in the know on all issues. If you’d like to guest write, please let me know. You can either email me (Jon@KeystoneContractors.com) or call the KCA (717.731.6272). I’ll be sure to promote you and/or your company to make it worth your while for contributing something.
The Keystone Contractors Association (KCA) announced that they are now officially certified to teach VitalCog: Suicide Prevention in the Workplace, a nationally recognized training program specifically designed for the construction industry.
The certification marks another major step in KCA’s ongoing commitment to improving mental health awareness and suicide prevention efforts across Pennsylvania’s construction workforce.
The announcement comes on the heels of the successful 2nd Annual AFSP Construction Hike for Hope, which brought together construction professionals, labor leaders, contractors, and advocates across the state to raise awareness surrounding mental health and suicide prevention in the industry.
“Construction workers face unique pressures both on and off the jobsite, and the statistics surrounding suicide in our industry are impossible to ignore,” said Jon O’Brien, Executive Director, KCA. “By becoming a certified VitalCog instructor, I can now provide companies with practical tools and training that help workers recognize warning signs, start conversations, and connect people with support before a crisis occurs.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the construction industry consistently experiences one of the highest suicide rates among all occupations in the United States. Studies have shown construction workers are at a significantly greater risk due to factors including high stress, chronic pain, substance misuse, financial pressures, long hours, and stigma surrounding mental health discussions.
Additional national research has found:
VitalCog training is designed specifically for construction workplaces and focuses on:
KCA is now scheduling VitalCog training sessions for construction companies, contractors, associations, apprenticeship programs, and industry organizations throughout Pennsylvania.
The training can be delivered as a stand-alone workshop or incorporated into existing safety meetings, workforce development programs, or company wellness initiatives.
“Safety in construction goes beyond hard hats and harnesses,” O’Brien added. “Protecting the mental health of our workforce is just as important as protecting physical safety on the jobsite.”
For more information or to schedule a VitalCog training session, contact the KCA at Jon@KeystoneContractors.com.
The Keystone Contractors Association represents Pennsylvania’s construction employers and works to promote workforce development, jobsite safety, industry advocacy, and contractor support throughout the Commonwealth.
Pip: Memorial Day weekend, a Supreme Court ruling that contractors are calling "dodging a bullet," and a data center boom that apparently cannot be stopped — Building Pennsylvania has had a busy week.
Mara: That's the territory we're covering today, from buildingpa's weekly recap: a landmark legal decision, the AI infrastructure surge, and cities finding new uses for old office towers. Let's start with the week's top construction stories.
Pip: This week's recap opens with something that had the industry watching closely — a Pennsylvania Supreme Court case that could have exposed contractors to liability on projects completed decades ago.
Mara: The case is Clearfield County v. Transystems Corp., involving a jail project completed in 1981, and the Court's ruling is direct: "Pennsylvania's 12-year construction statute of repose cannot be bypassed by government entities using the doctrine of nullum tempus."
Pip: So the upshot is that public owners cannot simply claim the clock never started running on their construction claims. Without that ruling, a county could theoretically have sued over work done forty-plus years prior.
Mara: The Keystone Contractors Association filed an amicus brief in the case, and the Court's opinion specifically acknowledged KCA's participation. KCA followed up by hosting a seminar on the decision — titled "We Dodged A Bullet" — which tells you something about the stakes.
Pip: That title is doing a lot of honest work.
Mara: Beyond the legal front, the recap also covers the AI and data center construction boom, which the post describes as the largest story in Pennsylvania construction right now. State lawmakers are debating new regulations tied to energy use, utility infrastructure, and clean-energy requirements for hyperscale facilities.
Pip: And major projects tied to Amazon Web Services and the Homer City redevelopment are driving significant labor demand across the trades — so this isn't abstract policy, it's active job volume.
Mara: The third story is office-to-residential conversion. A 120-year-old office tower in Downtown Pittsburgh is being converted into affordable housing through a thirty-million-dollar redevelopment project. The recap frames adaptive reuse as accelerating across Pennsylvania cities broadly, not just Pittsburgh.
Pip: Three very different pressures — legal exposure, energy infrastructure, housing supply — all landing in the same weekly digest.
Mara: That's the range the industry is navigating right now.
Pip: Legal clocks, data center power grids, century-old buildings finding second lives — Pennsylvania construction is carrying a lot at once.
Mara: More to follow as those regulatory debates and conversion projects develop. We'll be back next week.
Please join the KCA in taking a moment this Memorial Day weekend to remember and honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. May we carry their legacy forward with gratitude, respect and a commitment to the freedoms they protected.
Here are the top Pennsylvania construction stories this week.
Contractors Relieved by PA Supreme Court Decision in the Clearfield County Case: The case was Clearfield County v. Transystems Corp., involving defects alleged at the Clearfield County jail project that had originally been completed in 1981. Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled that Pennsylvania’s 12-year construction statute of repose cannot be bypassed by government entities using the doctrine of nullum tempus (“time does not run against the king”). If the county had won, public owners potentially could have pursued construction claims decades after projects were completed. The Keystone Contractors Association filed an amicus brief supporting the contractors and arguing against extending nullum tempus to statutes of repose. The Court’s opinion specifically acknowledged KCA’s participation along with several industry groups. This week the KCA hosted a seminar on the decision, to watch the video: We Dodged A Bullet, Understanding the PA Supreme Court’s Clearfield County Decision.
AI & Data Center Construction Boom Continues to Dominate: The largest story in Pennsylvania construction remains the surge in AI-driven data center development. State lawmakers are now debating new regulations tied to energy use, utility infrastructure, and clean-energy requirements for hyperscale facilities. Major projects tied to Amazon Web Services and the Homer City redevelopment continue driving huge labor demand across the trades. READ MORE.
Office-to-Residential Conversions Accelerating: Adaptive reuse continues gaining traction across Pennsylvania cities. A 120-year-old office tower in Downtown Pittsburgh is being converted into affordable housing in a $30 million redevelopment project. READ MORE.
Stay Safe, Stay Informed & Keep Building Pennsylvania!
Here are the top Pennsylvania construction stories this week:
AI + Data Center Construction Boom Accelerating Across PA: The biggest trend in Pennsylvania construction right now continues to be the explosion of AI-related data center and energy infrastructure projects. The Homer City redevelopment project in Western PA — combining a massive gas-fired power plant with a large-scale data center campus — remains one of the most significant active developments in the state. At the same time, proposed data center campuses in Archbald, Lackawanna County, are triggering intense community opposition over environmental impacts, land use, and infrastructure strain. The debate is becoming a statewide issue as Pennsylvania positions itself as an AI infrastructure hub. READ MORE.
Pressure Builds Around End-of-Session Infrastructure Negotiations in Harrisburg: As the Pennsylvania legislative session enters its final stretch, negotiations continue around a major capital investment and infrastructure package. Industry groups are closely watching whether lawmakers finalize funding mechanisms that could affect public construction, transportation, and economic development projects statewide. READ MORE.
Construction Industry Watching Interest Rates Closely as Mortgage Rates Rise Again: New mortgage-rate data published this week shows borrowing costs moving back upward into the mid-6% range. Pennsylvania builders and developers continue monitoring financing conditions carefully because higher rates could slow portions of the residential and multifamily construction market during peak building season. READ MORE.
Stay Safe, Stay Informed & Keep Building Pennsylvania!
Here are the top Pennsylvania construction stories this week:
AI data centers are becoming Pennsylvania’s next mega-construction boom
The dominant story this week was the accelerating push to build large-scale AI and hyperscale data centers across Pennsylvania. Building trades unions, energy companies, and state leaders are increasingly aligned around the opportunity because of the enormous labor demand these facilities create. Reports indicate some unions are seeing apprentice classes double in size due to anticipated work volumes. READ MORE.
UGI and Prime Data Centers unveil major Northern Tier infrastructure project
A particularly significant announcement involved a planned hyperscale AI campus in northern Pennsylvania. UGI Energy Services and Prime Data Centers are planning a dedicated natural gas pipeline and on-site power generation system to support what could become one of the state’s largest AI computing facilities.
Key details include:
Energy infrastructure and construction policy move to the forefront
A Luzerne County roundtable led by Dave McCormick focused heavily on energy permitting, infrastructure growth, and construction-related economic development. Discussions centered on how Pennsylvania can capitalize on AI-related construction demand while expanding utility and generation capacity. READ MORE.
CAPTION: This week the Harrisburg Chamber and the KCA hosted the Building Supplier Connections Mixer at Novinger’s. Seen in the photo are the hosts (L-R) Jon O’Brien of KCA, Tracy Novinger of Novinger’s and Jamal Jones of the Chamber.
Stay Safe, Stay Informed & Keep Building Pennsylvania!
Here are the top Pennsylvania construction stories this week:
Data center boom sparks backlash (statewide impact): A major controversy is unfolding in Archbald (Lackawanna County), where multiple large-scale data centers are proposed—covering ~14% of the town. Residents are pushing back over environmental impact, water usage, and grid strain, forcing state leaders (including Gov. Shapiro) to reconsider how aggressively to fast-track these projects. This reflects a broader statewide trend: rapid growth of AI/data infrastructure vs. community resistance—a defining construction issue right now. Data centers are becoming one of the largest drivers of non-residential construction in PA, but also one of the most politically sensitive. READ MORE.
$10B power plant + data center construction project underway: A massive energy + data center campus project near Homer City, Pennsylvania has begun construction, with projections of thousands of jobs. This project reinforces the energy–construction linkage and shows where large-scale capital is flowing in Pennsylvania construction. READ MORE.
Permitting reform framed as a workforce/jobs issue: US Senator Dave McCormick introduced federal legislation targeting permitting delays that are holding up infrastructure and energy projects. The argument: delays are tying up thousands of potential construction jobs and trillions in economic activity. Workforce shortages aren’t just about labor supply anymore. Project delays = idle workforce capacity + missed job creation. READ MORE.
CAPTION: The KCA Board of Directors and their spouses gathered recently for its Spring meeting.
Stay Safe, Stay Informed & Keep Building Pennsylvania
Here are the top Pennsylvania construction stories this week:
Downtown Pittsburgh construction surge tied to NFL Draft: Multiple projects were fast-tracked or completed ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. The city is seeing a wave of public-space upgrades and infrastructure improvements tied to tourism and long-term redevelopment. Economic impact is projected at $200M+, reinforcing the role of large events in accelerating construction timelines. READ MORE.
New $31M Arts Landing Park opens (rapid delivery project): Arts Landing Park is a 4-acre, $31M project opening this week. Delivered in just 22 months, which is notably fast for a project of this scale. Includes playgrounds, performance space, and public art infrastructure. Speed-to-delivery and private funding models are becoming more common in urban redevelopment. READ MORE.
Energy Proposals in the PA House Have Mixed Receptions: Pennsylvania House Democrats have proposed an energy package aimed at lowering consumer costs, but a key provision to cap utility return on equity (ROE) is raising concerns from industry groups. Critics argue the cap could discourage billions in infrastructure investment—like grid upgrades and pipelines—potentially leading to long-term reliability issues and higher costs down the road. READ MORE.
Photo Caption: This week the ACE Mentor Central PA Chapter held its annual breakfast fundraiser, which honored this year’s scholarship winners. In the photo was the event’s keynote speaker, Rocky Bleier, who gave an inspiring address stressing the importance of resilience, teamwork and hard work. Rocky is seen with the ACE Mentor Centre County Scholarship Recipient Gilby Martin and Gilby’s family.
Stay Safe, Stay Informed & Keep Building Pennsylvania!
Here are the top Pennsylvania construction stories for the week:
$18M public-space construction project unveiled in Philadelphia: The Thomas Paine Plaza redesign officially debuted after a 3-year, $18 million construction effort, and it includes new public-use features (skate space, gathering areas, future statue installation). This signals continued urban redevelopment and public infrastructure investment ahead of major tourism events (World Cup, etc.). READ MORE.
Natural gas pipeline project back in play (regional impact): The long-delayed Constitution Pipeline (PA → NY) could be operational by 2027. It revives large-scale energy construction activity tied to Pennsylvania and it could drive pipeline, compressor station, and related infrastructure work across the state. READ MORE.
Data center construction boom—and pushback: Pennsylvania is at the center of a massive AI/data center construction surge (potentially $100B+). Local communities are increasingly pushing back over land use, environmental, and displacement concerns. This is one of the biggest long-term construction opportunities in PA—but also a growing source of zoning battles and permitting risk. READ MORE.
PHOTO CAPTION: This week the ACE Mentor Program hosted a construction hands-on day for high school students in Centre County. Special thanks to Hilti Group for bring all the construction equipment and to McCrossin for working with students to safely use the tools.
Stay Safe, Stay Informed & Keep Building Pennsylvania!
Here are the top Pennsylvania construction stories this week:
Philadelphia Parking Garage Collapse: The construction community in Pennsylvania is deeply saddened by the tragic parking garage collapse in Philadelphia. On behalf of the KCA, we extend our deepest sympathy to the families of the Ironworkers involved. A parking garage under construction at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia partially collapsed, killing one worker and there are two missing, with others rescued. Early reports suggest a progressive “floor-by-floor” failure of the structure. READ MORE.
PennDOT’s $655M Construction Push (Northeast PA): PennDOT announced a record $655 million construction program for 2026. Includes: 67 new projects + 81 ongoing; work on 200 bridges; and, improvements to 80 miles of roadway. Key projects include: I-81 and I-84 upgrades (Scranton/Dunmore) and Major bridge replacements and interchange reconstructions. Why it matters: strong public-sector pipeline; significant bid opportunities for contractors; and, heavy demand for heavy highway, bridge, and materials sectors. READ MORE.
New State Park Development (Western PA): Laurel Caverns is becoming Pennsylvania’s first underground state park, opening April 22 with infrastructure upgrades. Why it matters: this shows growth in recreational construction & tourism infrastructure and public investment tied to economic development. Read More.
Stay Safe, Stay Informed & Keep Building Pennsylvania!
Here are the top Pennsylvania construction stories this week:
Massive Power Plant + Data Center Project Moving Forward (Western PA): This is one of the most important construction stories in PA right now, tying energy infrastructure directly to the AI/data center boom: A 4.5-gigawatt natural gas plant + data center campus is under construction in Homer City (Indiana County). Designed to support AI/data center demand, one of the biggest drivers of construction statewide right now. A current update: first structural steel now going vertical; and, there are now 1,200 construction workers on-site (expected to grow to 3,500). The scheduled completion is 2028. Key impact: Adds power capacity while fueling billions in tech-related construction. READ MORE.
Construction Hiring Is Growing—Driven by Data Centers + Infrastructure: Latest U.S. jobs report: Construction added ~30,000 jobs in March. What’s behind it: Data centers + energy + infrastructure projects are a major driver of construction hiring growth. Contractors are competing heavily for: skilled trades; project managers; and electrical specialists. READ MORE.
Amtrak Station Construction Begins in Central PA: Amtrak is starting major renovations at Lewistown Station this week. Work includes: platform upgrades; accessibility improvements; and, modernized passenger facilities. Construction begins April 7, 2026. This reflects a broader trend of transportation infrastructure upgrades across Pennsylvania. READ MORE.
PHOTO CAPTION: This week CSI Lehigh Valley held its annual CSI Expo, one of the most popular construction educational events of the year. KCA was proud to be represented there. In the photo is CSI Board Member Tina Montone and KCA’s Jon O’Brien.
Stay Safe, Stay Informed & Keep Building Pennsylvania!
Building Pennsylvania 