The more I read and learn about the looming Fiscal Cliff, the more concerned I get for our local design and construction economy. Two weeks ago, sixteen of the presidents of leading academic institutions in the Boston area co-signed a letter to Representative Ed Markey articulating the grave impact sequestration would have on the research community. While the authors of the letter did not focus on the role of capital projects in a thriving and expansive innovation economy, it is important to understand that much of the resurgence of construction activity going on here now is directly due to that leveraged inflow of federal and private dollars.