TheJobWalk E.38

Welcome to this week’s edition of TheJobWalk! Google commits $9B to Oklahoma, while Fermi America and Texas Tech launch HyperGrid, a 5,800-acre AI and energy campus near Amarillo. Johnson & Johnson breaks ground on a $2B biologics facility in Wilson, NC, and NextDecade secures $1.8B for its Train 4 LNG expansion. Frisco’s skyline is set to change with The Mix, a $3B, 112-acre mixed-use project, and Balfour Beatty invests £7.2M in AI innovation. Let’s dive in!

NEWS
Google to Invest $9Billion into AI & Cloud Infrastructure

Google will invest $9 billion over the next two years to expand its AI and cloud infrastructure in Oklahoma. The plan includes building a new AI-focused data centre campus in Stillwater (about 400 acres, costing up to $3 billion, with each building being roughly 300,000 sq ft) and expanding the existing facility in Pryor, which has been operating since 2011.

Google has already invested $4.8 billion in Pryor since 2007 and put $1.3 billion into renewable energy projects. As part of clean energy efforts, the company signed agreements earlier this year for a 724 MW solar portfolio in Oklahoma.

Beyond buildings and power, Google will support local education and training. It will offer AI training and career certificates to Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma through its AI for Education Accelerator, and back an electrician training program aiming to boost qualified electricians by 135 percent.

TheJobWalk’s got eyes on this too...

📰 Caterpillar Foundation Reaches $1B in Global Giving(Caterpillar)
📰 Turner Construction Celebrates Topping Out Michie Stadium(Turner)
📰 White House Tours Pause for Construction(FOX)
📰 Construction Materials Prices Jump in July(ABC)

PROJECTS
Build of The Week

HyperGrid, Texas

Fermi America and the Texas Tech University System are building HyperGrid, a 5,800 acre AI and energy campus near Amarillo Texas.

The site will integrate nuclear, natural gas, solar, and battery storage for up to 11 GW of power. The first 1 GW will come online in 2026 to power data centers.

• Developer/Operator: Fermi America, Texas Tech University System

• Sector: Energy/Data Infrastructure

• Location: Amarillo, Texas

Movement in the field:

💊Big Pharma, Bigger Bucks: J&J’s $2B Biotech Beast: Johnson & Johnson broke ground on its new, 500,000 SQ FT all new biologics manufacturing facility in Wilson, North Carolina. This $2 Billion project is expected to produce over 5,000 construction jobs as well as 500 permanent positions. Its said to have a $3 Billion economic impact on North Carolina within its first 10 years of operation. The facility will expand its capacity to deliver transformational medicines for people living with cancer, immune-mediated and neurological diseases. With project completion set for 2028.

Key Details: Client: Johnson & Johnson, General Contractors: TBA, Architect: TBA, Award: Manufacturing facility, Value: $2 Billion, Location: Wilson, North Carolina

🚆NextDecade’s Train 4 Gets a $1.8B Ticket to Ride: NextDecade has secured up to $1.8 billion in equity from TotalEnergies and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) for Train 4 at its Rio Grande LNG terminal in Texas. The total value of the Train 4 expansion is estimated at $4.77B. The project is awaiting a final FERC approval, expected by November, after a favorable environmental review. Upon completion, Train 4 will raise the terminal's total output by 10.8 Mtpa, further solidifying U.S LNG export leadership.

Key Details: Client/Developer: NextDecade, General Contractor: Bechtel Corporation, Sector: LNG/Industrial, Value: $4.77 Billion, Location: Brownsville, Texas

🍉Frisco’s Recipe: Just Add $3B and Mix Well: Construction is underway on The Mix, a $3 billion, 112-acre mixed-use development in Frisco. Phase 1 spans 28 acres and is anchored by a 50,000 sq ft Whole Foods- Frisco’s first. This phase also delivers 100,000 sq ft of retail, 115,000 sq ft of Class A office, 635 residential units, and a section of the planned 8-acre central park. The full build-out calls for 2 million+ sq ft of office space, 375,000 sq ft of upscale retail, two hotels totaling 400 rooms, and more than 3 million sq ft of residential, including townhomes and apartments.

Key Details: Developer: StreetLights Residential & Partners, Sector: Mixed-Use, Value: $3 Billion, Location: Frisco, TX

WANT TO SPONSOR THEJOBWALK?

Contact: [email protected] 

WORLD
The Lower Thames Crossing, United Kingdom

The Lower Thames Crossing is the UK’s largest road-building scheme in decades, designed to ease chronic congestion at the Dartford Crossing and strengthen transport links between Kent and Essex. 

The £9 billion project spans roughly 14 miles, including a 2.6-mile twin-bore tunnel under the River Thames- set to be the longest road tunnel in the country. Balfour Beatty will deliver over 10 miles of new roads north of the Thames, connecting the M25 near Upminster to the tunnel’s northern portal by Tilbury, while other contractors handle the tunnel and southern approach roads.

After years of delays, the UK government approved the scheme in March 2025, with construction expected to begin around 2026 and take six to eight years. The plan involves three lanes per bore, a 70 mph speed limit, and new links to the M25, A13, and A2/M2.

TECH SPOTLIGHT
Balfour Beatty to Invest £7.2Million in AI

Balfour Beatty, a major construction company in the UK, is spending £7.2 million (around $9 million) on AI tools to help make building work faster and safer. One of the main tools they’re using is Microsoft 365 Copilot, which helps workers with writing, planning, and searching- all done quicker and more accurately.

This AI is already being used on big jobs like the A9 road in Scotland. It checks safety and inspection plans in minutes, a task that used to take hours. Experts say using AI in construction could improve how much work gets done by up to 15%.

In the U.S., construction companies face many of the same problems—slow paperwork, not enough workers, and rising costs. If AI works well in the UK, there’s a good chance American builders might follow.

QUICK FIRE ROUND
Your quiz questions for this week:

What is the typical curing period required to achieve 70% of the concrete’s design strength?

A. 7 days // B. 3 days  // C. 14 days

Which component in a construction drawing defines the relationship between drawings and project specifications?

A. Title block // B. Drawing index // C. General notes

In electrical installations, what is the purpose of a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI)?

A. Prevent overloads // B. Detect current imbalance and prevent shock // C. Reduce voltage spikes

What does the term “thermal bridging” refer to in building envelopes?

A. Conduction of heat through insulation layers // B. Air gaps in wall assemblies // C. Transfer of heat through structural elements

Which of the following best defines a “punch list” in construction?

A. Schedule of daily activities // B. Final list of outstanding work or corrections before project closeout // C. List of change orders

Check out the answers at the bottom.

WEEKLY FUNNY
“Start the day as you mean to go on”

REFLECTION
This week’s question to ask yourself✌️

If my career path were a book, what would the current chapter be titled?

ANSWERS

Q1 A. 7 days // Q2 C. General notes // Q3 B. Detect current imbalance and prevent shock // Q4 C. Transfer of heat through structural elements // Q5 B. Final list of outstanding work or corrections before project closeout

How many did you get?