Hurricane Katrina was the third strongest hurricane on record at landfall to hit the United States according to the National Weather Service. Considered one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history, the Bush Administration sought $105 billion for reconstruction of the region in 2006. Three years later, the rebuilding efforts along the north-central Gulf Coast continue, and C+RA is helping to re-establish hotels in Gulfport, Mississippi. Among the hotels that recently opened are two, five-story facilities—a 106-key Residence Inn and a 137-key Hilton Garden Inn, both located across from Gulfport’s newly remodeled airport. These projects were also the first two hotels to benefit from the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act, which provides major tax incentives for business development in the major disaster areas.

The history of the Log Hill Mesa Fire Protection District dates back to April 1976 when a group of about 20 neighbors met to form a fire department. One of the volunteer firefighters leased one acre of their property toward the cause at a rate of one dollar per year for 10 years at which time it would be deeded to the planned Log Hill Mesa Fire Protection District. The firefighters built Firehouse No. 1 in October 1976, formed the District in January 1979 and built a second station in 1981. Growth of the northern region of Ouray County, Colorado, has continued since then, and a new station was necessary to serve the eastern portion of the county. C+RA recently completed the one-story, two-bay station, which features natural stone and heavy timber to fit into the vernacular and wooded setting.