Warfare in Iraq, continued fears over homeland security, economic stutter steps and less-than-enthusiastic stock market forecasts cannot seem to dent the remarkable resiliency of the Texas construction industry.

For the eighth consecutive year, Texas Construction has compiled its list of the state's top construction projects and, as proof of the continued strength of the construction industry, this year's top 25 projects total more than $2.67 billion in contract values. With the industry continuing to lag in several portions of the United States, evidence that Texas construction remains strong is contained in the list in which all 25 project are valued at $50 million or more.

Topping this year's rankings is the Frisco Sports Complex, a multifunctional development that will include professional sports facilities as well as a hotel, office and retail space and multifamily housing. Valued at $300 million, the complex already features a new minor league baseball stadium for the Texas Rangers' Class AA team while a new practice facility for the NHL's Dallas Stars in currently under construction. The sports complex is part of a multi-million-dollar construction program under way throughout Frisco, a rapidly growing city just north of Dallas.

Centex Construction Co. is the general contractor for the baseball and hockey practice facilities at the Frisco Sports Complex as well as many other projects in that area.

Infrastructure continues to be one of the driving forces in the Texas construction industry, and the $215 million Carrizo Aquifier and Storage Recovery Program in Bexar County southeast of San Antonio is second on this year's list.

Research Tower No. 4 at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas is third among the state's top projects with a contract value of $206 million.

Rounding out the top five are the $150 million Combined Emergency Communications and Transportation Management Center in Austin and the $146 million Federal Inspections Services Building in Houston at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Projects on this year's list represent nearly every facet of the Texas construction industry. Included are sports venues, water treatment facilities, healthcare, federal, state and local buildings, power plants, education, corporate headquarters, renovation, museums, hospitality, public building and transportation projects.

The list was compiled and ranked according to the highest dollar projects that broke ground in 2002 or are currently under way. Four of the projects topped the $150 million mark in contract value while five more are valued at more than $100 million. Two years ago, only six projects on Texas Construction's list were valued at $100 million or more.

Despite the total dollar volume on this year's list, however, the Top Projects list still cannot represent all of the entire state's highest-dollar-value projects. The magazine's list is dependent solely upon participation of the owners and general contractors of the projects listed.