January 2026
The Spotlight
Greener Pastures
placing higher priority on beautiful landscapes
From outdoor amenity spaces to showpiece rain gardens to a city park celebrating jazz legends, creating extraordinary green space is a priority in many construction projects.
In Baltimore City, the Nathaniel J. McFadden Learn and Play Park is a key element in the transformative Somerset Homes redevelopment. Although the site is just one acre, it includes play and exercise equipment, a pavilion, an amphitheater, grassy areas, walkways and lines of trees.
Trend Watch
Mixed market conditions demand heightened business savvy
From sluggish growth projections to the data center boom to debates about the impacts of tariffs, interest rates and labor shortages, the construction industry is heading into a complex market in 2026.
So, what are some of the biggest market forces that BC&E members expect to contend with this year?
Behind the Build
Blue Line Civic Plaza
Largo, MD
The Civic Plaza project in Largo challenged the design-build team from Design Collective and J. Vinton Schafer Construction to meet multiple, lofty goals.
Part of Prince George’s County’s Blue Line Corridor revitalization strategy, the site needed to become a vibrant, inclusive, multi-use community destination that could support everything from large festivals, farmers markets and public protests to low-key, everyday recreational use.
Expert Exchange
Strategies to Combat Rising Rents
Flex and warehouse rents in Greater Baltimore have risen faster than many contractors expect, and the surprise usually hits at lease renewal. For years, market rents increased by roughly 3% annually, which felt manageable for most. The problem is that fair market rents have moved higher, much faster.
MEMBER BRIEFS
Meet the 2026 BC&E Leadership
The beginning of a new year brings a new BC&E Board of Directors. The directors were unanimously approved during the October 2025 election. They began their new terms on January 1. The Executive Committee includes President Jeff Hossfeld, The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company; Vice President Thomas Koch, Plano-Coudon Construction; Treasurer Marianne Crampton, MK Consulting Engineers, LLC; Secretary John Gregg, GWWO Architects and Member At Large Jonathan Goetz, Oak Contracting, LLC. The Executive Committee joins 11 other board members as BC&E top leadership.
Dealing With Tariffs and Supply Chain Issues
Changing tariffs and shifting conditions in the supply chain have created challenges for construction companies over the past year.
At BC&E’s “New Realities of Construction” webinar in December, Bill Cole, President of Cole Roofing and Gordian Energy Systems; Jerry Taylor, Vice President of Sales and Estimating at Baltimore Fabrication; Daniel Hefter, Senior Estimator at Harkins Builders; and moderator Peter Loftus, Principal at CLA discussed how to best contend with tariffs, materials pricing and other supply chain challenges.
TAI, WBCM expand services with merger
A recent merger is creating new opportunities for TAI Construction to provide a broader range of services to a longer list of clients. The company was formed through the merger of WBCM Construction with the construction management division of TAI, an Owings Mills-based engineering firm. Principals of the two companies, which had worked together on projects for more than a decade, realized a merger could create significant growth potential.
NEW TO THE NETWORK
BC&E welcomes new members & Bronze-Level Partners
As the premier construction industry association in the Baltimore region, we are pleased to welcome new members to our network and to recognize those companies that appreciate the value of partnering with BC&E.
New Members: Gross, Mendelsohn & Associates; The Weber Group
New Partners: Cenero LLC; Temp Air Company; Worcester Eisenbrandt