CB Richard Ellis directors are starting the New Year by reevaluating business plans and projections to incorporate the addition of their former rivals at Trammell Crow Co according to Midwest Real Estate News.

Here in in St. Louis, where Trammell Crow|Krombach and CB Richard Ellis are two strong brokerage houses, the terms of the merger agreements will not be finalized until the end of this month.

The 2006 Top 10 Green Building Products, announced by BuildingGreen at last month’s GreenBuild show in Denver, offer an interesting variety of environmentally sound building solutions. A slideshow of the 10 products on the ENR website includes beautiful Varia resin panels by 3Form made from recycled content and SageGlass, an electronically tintable exterior glazing that provides glare control and reduces solar heat gain by switching from a clear to tinted state.

The economy will support growth in the construction industry in 2007, although it will slow gradually over the year, according to Jim Haughey, director of Research and Analytics for Reed. Haughey’s detailed review of construction growth in various sectors and his projections for 2007 was published in Building Design & Construction.

Spending on nonresidential construction expanded by 16% during the year ending September, but has currently slowed to 11-12% and will slow further to 8% by the end of 2007. The slowdown results from the plunge in residential building last year and the slowdown in overall economic growth due to cautious consumer spending.

2006 quick stats:

• The condo market plunged more than the single-family market
• Shopping center expansion continued
• Office construction spending surged last summer, up 11%
• Manufacturing construction spending jumped 20%
• Hotel construction soared 52%
• Education construction spending increased 6.5% with all gains near the end of the year
• Healthcare construction spending growth doubled to 15%

The vast majority of public owners (87%) are familiar with LEED energy efficient “green” building standards and more than two-thirds (70%) use LEED standards in their designs, according to a Pinnacle One study published by Building Design & Construction. Owners in the education sector were more than twice as likely as others to use green building standards.

Although the study shows that LEED awareness is highest on the West coast and the Northeast, St. Louis is certainly on the cutting edge with LEED standards incorporated into such projects as The Security Building, the St. Louis Community College West Campus; CitiMortgage in O’Fallon, MO; the Express Scripts building at UMSL; the Monsanto Data Center; the SLU Health Science Center Research Building and many many others.

St. Louis architectural firm The Lawrence Group is preparing more than 30 staff for LEED accreditation through “LGA LEEDers,” a study group led by LEED accredited employees who mentor other interested employees within the company.

Learn more about local LEED initiatives at the St. Louis Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.