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Construction > Construction ArticlesCommercial Construction.comHistoric
Commercial Construction Projects We
have provided the following articles on historic commercial construction projects
for your reading enjoyment. Learn more about how some of America's most famous
structures came about!
Empire
State Building - In 1931 the Empire State Building became the tallest building
in the world. At 1,250 feet tall it broke the thousand-foot mark - the construction
industry's equivalent of shattering the sound barrier - and produced astonishment
throughout the commercial construction world. Bill Starrett was the commercial
contractor and was in charge of its actual construction. A prolific commercial
construction company for its time, Starrett Brothers and Eken had also served
as general contractors on other skyscrapers such as 40 Wall Street - now known
as The Trump Building - and the Metropolitan Life North Building in the 1920s
and 1930s. Hoover Dam
- The Hoover Dam was a project too big for one commmercial construction company
to build. A number of construction companies were interested in the job. It soon
became obvious, though, that no one company would be able to handle a project
of this magnitude. No single construction company could raise the $5 million needed
to secure the performance bond. It took a group of general contractors and commercial
construction companies named the Six Companies Consortium to tame the Colorado
River and bring the Hoover Dam to reality. Our
Lady of Angels Cathedral - Our Lady of Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles, California
is the third largest cathedral in the world. The visionary for this building,
Cardinal Roger Mahoney, dreamed of a cathedral that would rival any of the wonders
in Europe, that would stand for centuries and give comfort to all who entered
its doors. He believed the only way to achieve his dream was to find people who
could truly work together as a team on this immense project, and so Mahoney carefully
chose Morley Construction Company as the general contractor. Water
Tower Place - Water Tower Place in Chicago was the tallest reinforced concrete
building in the world from 1975 to 1990, when it was surpassed in height by 311
South Wacker Drive, also in Chicago. Named after the Chicago Water Tower, the
building was designed by Loebl, Schlossman, Dart & Hackl. The commercial construction
company who built Water Tower Place was Inland-Robbins Co. | 
