Architecture firm billings fell from January to February across the Western region of the U.S., according to the February architecture billings index from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
The AIA’s report said the Western region, which contains 11 states, including Nevada, had an index of 47.5, where anything below 50 indicates a loss. This was the seventh month of declining billings for the West out of the last eight, the report stated.
The West also had the lowest index for billings out of the four regional areas the AIA’s report covers: The Midwest (52.4), the South (50.5), the Northeast (50) and the West.
Overall, architecture billings had a positive index in February, 50.7. This was a gain over January’s billing index of 49.5.
“The sluggish start to the year in architecture firm billings should give way to stronger design activity as the year progresses,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD. “New project inquiries have been very strong through the first two months of the year, and in February new design contracts at architecture firms posted their largest monthly gain in over two years.”
The data is collected from several firms across the U.S., collected by AIA Economics &Market Research Group through its Work-on-the-Broads survey. The survey is done monthly.
Extended-stay hotel planned for North Las Vegas
A new extended-stay hotel is being planned for the North Las Vegas area.
Developer Randal Bender is set to break ground in April on a My Place hotel location at 1440 E. Craig Road, which sits between North Fifth Street and Losee Road. The four-story, 63-unit hotel is Nevada’s first under the My Hotels of America brand.
My Place opened its first location in Dickinson, North Dakota, in the middle of the recession in February 2012. Since then, the company’s brand has increased its presence, with now 30 locations open across the U.S. The company is actively seeking franchisees.
The initial investment for franchisees falls between $3.2 million and $4.1 million, according to information on the company’s website.
ViaWest nearly doubles the size of its data center
Greenwood Village, Colorado-based ViaWest, which owns three data centers in the Las Vegas Valley, announced in March that it has expanded its facility at 3330 E. Lone Mountain Road by 32,000 square feet.
The data center, which opened in 2013, now contains 66,000 square feet of space, versus its previous total of 34,000 square feet. The company also announced it was adding five additional employees.
ViaWest now holds roughly 100,000 square feet of space in the valley, according to its website. ViaWest has had a Las Vegas presence since 2001.
The company has 30 data centers located in Colorado, Utah, Oregon, Nevada, Texas, Minnesota, Arizona and Calgary, Canada.
