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Officials also looking into possibility of 'availability payments' to lure developers

With $12 billion worth of public-private partnership (P3) projects either completed or actively being pursued and an active state Office of Transportation Public-Private Partnerships (OTP3), Virginia is leading the states in development as a result of P3s. One new project involves the development as a result of air rights - rights to build in the unused or empty space above a property - are among 10 projects being studied by the Commonwealth for which request for information (RFI) and then ultimately a request for proposals (RFP) will be sought this year and next.

In early July, an RFI was posted for a pilot air rights project for development of mixed-use facilities above the East Falls Church metro station and another station in Arlington County.

"The idea with the RFI is going to the private sector to get feedback on areas of business, which, frankly, we don't know a whole lot about," said Jackie Cromwell (pictured), OTP3 program manager. "Our backgrounds tend to be roadway-centric. This is a little different so we are seeking input from folks that do this on a daily basis." The revenue from the pilot project could be used for other transportation projects, she said.

Also under the OTP3 microscope as a possible option for transportation P3s are the use of "availability payments." This is often an alternative to charging tolls as a way for a roadway construction private partner to recoup its investment. The private partner earns regularly scheduled payments based on project milestones - such as meeting completion dates - or performance standards of a project. Typically, departments of transportation use these availability payments as a way to attract private financing.

Transportation issue hopes to resolve traffic congestion around Atlanta

In its first public-private partnership (P3), the state of Georgia has named a "potential partner" for an Interstate 75 managed lanes project carrying a cost of $840 million. The project - Northwest Corridor - is a 30-mile design, build and partially finance P3.

The project particulars will be finished up this year and construction is expected to begin next year. Officials are hoping for a 2018 opening.

The Northwest Express Roadbuilders consortium will both design and build the corridor for $600 million, much lower than the original project estimate of $951 million. The remaining $240 million to complete the project will come from the Georgia Department of Transportation. The project includes adding two managed lanes on I-75 to help relieve traffic congestion in Atlanta.

The Northwest Corridor is the remains of a previous planned project for the Peach State, a $2.3 billion design, build, finance, operate and maintenance project that included both I-75 and I-575. Plans for the project were scuttled when a new governor was elected and took office in 2011.  

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University of Chicago to build three-tower dormitory on campus

Plans for a three-tower dormitory on the campus of the University of Chicago have been revealed by the architect (as seen in accompanying artist's rendering). The largest of the three towers will be 165 feet tall. The facility will serve 800 undergrad students. It will include multi-level lounges in the center of the three white concrete towers. The tallest of the towers will be 15 stories while the other two will be 11 and five stories. The dorm is expected to cost $148 million. University officials are hopeful it will be open to new students in fall 2016. Plans also include a diagonal path between the buildings to connect the Smart Museum of Art with 55th Street businesses. The side of the dormitory that faces 55th Street will also have retail spaces available.

Texas school district to use $6 million bond to fund variety of projects

Bridgeport (Texas) Independent School District will use a multi-million-dollar, zero-interest bond to fund more than $6 million in projects. Plans over the next few years include sports facility renovations, security upgrades and HVAC replacement. The sports facility renovations will eat up $2.7 million of the total. The school district is taking advantage of a Qualified School Construction Bond, a federal bond program used to finance school construction, land purchase and renovations. Other projects that will benefit from the bond include: $1.9 million in football stadium renovations; a $45,000 scoreboard replacement; a $50,000 water draining retention pond construction for the baseball field; $2.2 million in HVAC replacements on several campuses; $75,000 for installation of 200 security cameras; $150,000 in flooring replacement on various campuses; $100,000 for electronic message boards at all campuses; and $350,000 for surfacing and resurfacing some parking lots on various campuses. The projects total $6.245 million.

Rutgers to use P3 to construct academic building, student housing

A redevelopment project on the campus of Rutgers University will use a public-private partnership to produce a new academic building as well as student housing. The $295 million project will make the New Brunswick Seminary building into a 175,000-square-foot academic building. The partnership is between the university and the New Brunswick Development Corp. to redevelop 10 acres of land on the College Avenue campus. The university will use $82.5 million in state grants and tax credits to help fund the project, which is expected to be completed by fall 2016. The housing part of the project includes a 240,000-square-foot, 125-unit apartment-style facility with 500 beds. It will feature four-bedroom, single occupancy apartments to offer additional housing options for students and 13,000 square feet of retail space. The academic facility will be to support the School of Arts and Sciences. It will feature academic departments and some 2,500 seats of classroom space in lecture halls.

Bioresearch laboratory planned for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

A request for proposals (RFP) has been issued for a more than $20.99 million new Integrated Bioresearch Laboratory facility at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The project budget includes design, construction and equipment and will use a design-build delivery method. The facility will include 42,850 gross square feet that will be used for research, analysis and teaching space including biotechnology, fermenting, corn milling and soybean processing laboratories and equipment. Site improvements will include extending utilities and roadways. The new laboratory is comprised of processing, analytic laboratory spaces, classrooms, administrative spaces, circulation, building services and utility equipment and specialized laboratory equipment. Modifications and renovations will also be made to first- and second-floor areas, while the exterior space will have multiple loading/traffic areas and an accessible pedestrian approach.  

Tourist attraction in South Dakota to get $7.2 million facelift

Local tourist attraction, the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota, is due a $7.2 million facelift and expansion. City council recently approved a two-phase plan that includes lights and color-changing domes. The first phase of the project will include $4.1 million in construction. The second phase is a $3.1 million renovation of the City Hall building, which is connected to one side of the Corn Palace and will be used until the new city hall is built. The current Corn Palace building was completed in 1921. Each year, a new mural made from about 275,000 ears of corn is replaced. The building attracts about 200,000 tourists annually.

Jail bond issue on ballot again Aug. 6 in Clovis for third time

Backers of a new multi-million-dollar jail in Clovis, New Mexico, are hoping the third time is the charm. A third election is set in August relating to the facility. The new facility would have room for minimum security inmates and maximum security inmates. The bond issue will not cover the entire cost of the facility, but say the extra money will come from reserves and through borrowing.  

National Tennis Center to get $500 million expansion project

The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York will soon get a $500 million expansion. The home of the U.S. Open championships will annex a 0.68-acre parcel of land that is not city parkland in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. To facilitate the expansion, city officials and parks supporters negotiated concessions totaling more than $10 million for improvements to the park. "This deal was a long time coming, and I can say with confidence that we will benefit from this expansion," said City Council member Julissa Ferreras (pictured). The expansion will include replacement and renovation of aging infrastructure and facilities. Ferreras said UTSA will help start a nonprofit to help fund Flushing Meadows similarly to the Central Park Conservancy. UTSA has also agreed to hold a job fair for Queens residents and will allow area high schools to hold graduation ceremonies at the center. There will also be tennis programs for local children.

New Mexico seeking vendor to market, advertise health exchange

The State of New Mexico has received a nearly $19 million federal grant to market and advertise its health insurance exchange for uninsured individuals and businesses and to help them explore their options in the state's online marketplace. The exchange is expected to be a one-stop online shop for insurance, with 80,000 uninsured New Mexicans to be enrolled next year and up to 211,000 by 2020. Bids are being solicited from private-sector firm for advertising, education and public relations. Applications have been requested from organizations, nonprofits and trade associations interested in implementing outreach programs for those seeking health insurance through the exchange. One of the challenges will be reaching uninsured citizens in rural areas who do not have Internet access and those who are not computer literate. Officials expect to spend about $13 million for marketing and education, including about $6 million for local events.

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Private development asks city to partner with new parking facility

A private-sector business that is looking at building an 18-story, mixed-use building (as seen in accompanying artist's rendering) in Bellingham, Washington, is seeking a partnership with the city to build a nearby parking lot. The software company is growing and plans to expand its presence in the downtown area of Bellingham. The company also owns additional property in the area where the new facility will be built, and is proposing that the city construct a parking garage on that property as part of a public-private partnership. The plan for this preliminary proposal is for the facility to have condos on the top floor, retail space on the ground floor and offices in between. The private firm would occupy 60 percent of the building. The parking garage, according to the developer, could be a garage with ramps, or the parking area could become part of the middle section of the facility, with retail on the bottom floor and offices on top. The city so far has been receptive, as parking has long been an issue in the downtown area. And city officials are also open to projects that will help revitalize the downtown area rather than building a garage and hoping it will create development in that area.   

Consortium offers unsolicited proposal on South Mountain Freeway in Arizona

A consortium that includes several private companies has submitted an unsolicited proposal addressing construction of Arizona's South Mountain Freeway - and not as a toll road. Presented to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), the department must, by law, review the proposal and then decide if a request for proposals (RFP) should be issued as a way of seeking other company bids and more competitive prices. We look for concepts that can be done better, faster and less expensively, providing real value for the traveling public," said ADOT Director John Halikowski. The consortium, called South Mountain Development Group, includes Kiewit Development Co., Kiewit Infrastructure West Co., Sundt Construction, Inc. and Parsons Corporation. The group says their proposal will bring the project to fruition quicker and at a lower cost than government can do it, offers flexibility in project concept changes and provides subcontracting and job opportunities for local contractors. The project has been in the planning stages for three decades and has twice been approved in voter referendums. The private-sector group says the early delivery of the project can reduce traffic congestion, provide a boost to the local economy and provide a much-needed bypass of downtown Phoenix.

Michigan DOT looking for possible private partners for variety of state projects

Private-sector partners are being sought by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) for a variety of projects that include rest stops, lighting on freeways, construction of bridges and timber management. Two rest stops along U.S. 127 south of Grayling are prime locations for tourists. MDOT officials are exploring the possibility of opening restaurants or selling advertising space and naming rights to bring in revenue. "This is an information-gathering stage, the first step to starting a conversation about what's possible in financing and building infrastructure," stated Transportation Director Kirk Steudle (pictured). Also under consideration is the privatization of lighting along state highways and freeway lighting in the Detroit metro area. That project includes more than 18,000 lights. Other options include lighting along I-696 in Oakland County and under Detroit's Cobo Center. MDOT will also entertain proposals that could lead to long-term contracts to design, finance, build and maintain bridges over I-75 in Detroit and Oakland County and along I-94 in Detroit. Finally, the state is exploring to see if there is any interest from the private sector for logging projects in highway forest areas.

 (To view these stories, click here and look under "Around the Nation.")

 Are you a government official who has moved into a new position or to a new agency? Did you recently retire? Were you recently named to an executive-level position at a state-supported college, university or community college? Have you secured a new job as superintendent of a public school? If so, we'd like to hear from you - and so would your friends and colleagues - for our "Where Are They Now" column. Just drop us a line at editor@spartnerships.com and let us know about your previous job and where you are now. This week we feature Marguerite Salazar.

Marguerite Salazar (pictured) attended Colorado State University from 1971 to 1973, where she studied nutrition sciences. She later earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Adams State College. She initially served as a mental-health therapist in the San Luis Valley and later directed Access Social Work Service, a firm that contracts with local public health departments, hospitals and nursing homes to provide social work services. She began her public service career in 1985 with Valley Wide Health Systems (VWHS), Inc. and served as its president and CEO. VWHS is one of the largest rural community health centers in the United States, providing primary health care to more than 40,000 residents of the San Luis, Lower Arkansas and Upper Arkansas Valleys in Southern Colorado. She spent almost 25 years with the System before being named Regional Director of Region VIII of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a position she was appointed to by President Barack Obama in 2010. The region includes Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, North Dakota and South Dakota. Salazar was recently tapped by Gov. John Hickenlooper to serve as Colorado's new insurance commissioner. She replaces Jim Riesberg, who recently retired. Salazar will take office on Aug. 19.

David Wilkins (top left), Florida's top child welfare and social services administrator since 2011, has resigned after a scandal erupted over the recent deaths of four small children who had a history of involvement with child-abuse investigators. Garth Harries (top center) was recently promoted from his role as assistant superintendent of the New Haven (Connecticut) Public Schools to the superintendent's position, following the retirement of 21-year New Haven Schools Superintendent Reginald Mayo. Kieran Shanahan (top right), who has been head of the North Carolina public safety agency since the first of the year, will resign at the end of the month, saying he was unable to juggle the job with his outside business interests, and offered his resignation on the same day that COO Edward "Sonny" Masso also resigned. Former Polk County, Florida, schools Associate Superintendent David Lewis has been selected as the new superintendent of the Muscogee County (Georgia) Schools. The Mount Shasta, California, City Council has approved an employment agreement with Paul Eckert, the current city manager of Sioux City, Iowa, as the new city manager to replace Ted Marconi, when he retires next month. Kyle A. Taylor, Battalion Chief with North Hays County Fire Rescue in Dripping Springs, Texas, for the last four years, will be appointed as fire chief of the Kyle Fire Department on Aug. 5. Wake County, North Carolina Manager David Cooke (middle right) has announced his retirement in November from the post he's held for 13 years, ending an overall 17-year career with Wake County. Kim A. Wilcox (middle center), Michigan State University's former provost, has been nominated to be the next chancellor of the University of California at Riverside to succeed Timothy P. White, who left Riverside last year to become chancellor of the California State University system. Dr. Mary McNeil (middle left), assistant superintendent in the Los Nietos School District in Los Angeles County, will begin her job as Needles Unified School District superintendent Aug. 6. George "Andy" Hall has been chosen to become the next city manager for Imperial Beach, California, succeeding Gary Brown, who will retired from the post on Aug. 5 after 10 years. Roswell, New Mexico, Police Chief Al Solis has announced that he is stepping down from his post on Aug. 31, for health reasons, after also having served as administrator to the Chaves County Detention Center and later the police department's chief. Denise Pouget (bottom left), who worked as assistant fire chief in the Alexandria, Virginia, Fire Department since 2008, was recently sworn in as Frederick County, Maryland's first chief over a unified fire and rescue system. Marcie Edwards (bottom center), former Anaheim Public Utilities General Manager, former Utility General Manager and Deputy, Assistant and Interim City Manager, has been named the city's new city manager. Majed Al-Ghafry (bottom right), current director of public works for San Antonio and former Chula Vista engineer, has been appointed assistant city manager in El Cajon, California. Murrieta, California, Police Chief Mike Baray, who spent 21 years with the police department there and another 10 with the Long Beach Police Department, has announced his retirement, effective Sept. 3. The South Florida Water Management District's governing board has chosen Blake Guillory, former executive director of the district managing water resources in west central Florida, as its new executive director. The Community College of Philadelphia's board of trustees has named Judith Gay, vice president for academic affairs, as the college's interim president, effective Sept. 6.