Construction Extraction – June 5, 2025
Unveiling Bold Brews and Breaking News within the AEC Community – June 5, 2025
Massive infrastructure upgrades. Smarter housing for disaster zones. And a coffee that redefines what your morning can taste like.
Catch the May 26-June 2 Construction Extraction recap and subscribe to get these weekly updates delivered straight to your inbox.
📩 Read + subscribe → https://cbherman.substack.com/p/ce060525
Construction Extraction: May 26 - June 2, 2025
Keeping the industry in motion. One project, one coffee at a time.
🧱 Industry Highlights
🚌 $10B Port Authority Bus Terminal Overhaul Begins
The long-awaited transformation of New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal is officially underway. This $10 billion project will increase commuter capacity, modernize infrastructure, and bring some long-overdue comfort to one of the country's busiest transit hubs. Completion is expected by 2032.
🏗 $1B Residential Project Launches in Brooklyn
Construction is now active on a massive $1 billion development in Brooklyn's Gowanus neighborhood. The 27-story residential tower, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, will deliver 1,000 rental units with 25% dedicated to affordable housing.
🏘 Modular Homes Scale in Disaster Recovery
From wildfires in California to hurricanes in Florida, modular housing is proving to be a fast, cost-effective solution. Builders like Hapi Homes and ICON are at the forefront, delivering factory-built homes that meet rising demand in disaster-impacted communities.
🚧 McNeil Canyon Road Realignment Project Begins
In Douglas County, Washington, work has begun on a $4.2 million project to realign McNeil Canyon Road. This aims to improve safety and traffic efficiency with redesigned road geometry. Completion is projected for November 2025.
☕ Coffee of the Week
Esmeralda - Fellow Products
Bright. Tropical. Unexpected.
This isn't your average morning brew.
Esmeralda is a small-lot coffee sourced from the highlands of Panama and roasted to highlight notes of citrus blossom, tropical fruit, and honey. It's the kind of cup that makes you pause mid-sip-and think about what else could be possible if we approached things with this much intention.
Available in whole bean format from Fellow Products, it's a standout for pour-over lovers and those who lean toward adventurous flavor.
Estellar Coffee's Esmeralda is a single-origin Colombian coffee from Rioblanco, Tolima, known for its light-medium roast and tasting notes of brown sugar, stone fruits, and nutty almond. The beans are of the Caturra varietal and undergo a washed process involving a 48-hour fermentation in plastic tanks, followed by de-pulping and an additional 12-hour fermentation in open tanks, then sun-dried for 18 days on marquesinas.
Fellow Products has featured this coffee in their brew guides, recommending specific settings for their equipment.
Below is a precise pour-over recipe tailored for the Fellow Aiden brewer, incorporating these insights:
☕ Esmeralda - Estellar Coffee
Origin: Rioblanco, Tolima, Colombia
Varietal: Caturra
Process: Washed (48h fermentation, sun-dried)
Roast: Light-Medium
Tasting Notes: Brown sugar, stone fruits, almond
CORE SETTINGS
Ratio: 16
Bloom Ratio: 2.5
Bloom Time: 45 seconds
Bloom Temperature: 94°C
SINGLE SERVE (150-250ml)
Number of Pulses: 3
Time Between Pulses: 20 seconds
Pulse Temperatures:
Pulse 1: 95°C
Pulse 2: 93.5°C
Pulse 3: 92°C
Grind Settings:
Fellow Ode Gen2: 3.1
Fellow Opus: 4.1
Fellow Ode + SSP: 4.1
Approximate Grind Size: ~750μm
BATCH BREW (450-750ml)
Number of Pulses: 3
Time Between Pulses: 20 seconds
Pulse Temperatures:
Pulse 1: 95°C
Pulse 2: 93.5°C
Pulse 3: 92°C
Grind Settings:
Fellow Ode Gen2: 6.2
Fellow Opus: 7.2
Fellow Ode + SSP: 6.2
Approximate Grind Size: ~950μm