The days of riding the locomotive train are still chugging along, but more and more of them seem to be heading into retirement as they become stationary fixtures in museums or run on a few miles of track for tourists who want that nostalgic experience. Today, trains are conforming to our fast-paced lifestyle by adding a little kick to the caboose as we try and play catch-up with neighboring countries. The first high-speed rail was Japan's Hikari Super Express Shinkansen, better known as the bullet train, which traveled between Tokyo and Osaka at an average speed of 99 miles per hour (mph). This train service was introduced just in time for the 1964 Olympics. The journey by train between Japan's two biggest cities had previously taken close to seven hours. The Shinkansen had decreased the trip to four hours. The modern-day Shinkansen can run up to 200 mph. 

Ohio- Ohio State University trustees passed their Framework 2.0 plan back in January, and just recently agreed on five planning studies for major building projects to bring that plan to life. A request for qualifications will be released and somewhere between $5 and $7 million will be spent on an architectural firm to describe how they would help the university narrow down ideas and choose where to build. 

The studies will have five main planning focuses. First will be a research building designed to accommodate faculty and students from many different academic areas working together. Second, an area west of the intersection of High Street and 15th Avenue transformed into an arts district and "front door" to the university, as well as adding new spaces for theater, dance and music performance. Third, facilities throughout the health-sciences campus will be designed to better allow instructors and students in different health-care programs to work together. Fourth, more patient beds and teaching and learning spaces will be added to Wexner Medical Center. Lastly, new outpatient and clinical spaces will be created for the hospital's ambulatory-care center.

Kansas- Officials with the Kansas Department of Corrections have released a request for proposals (RFP) for the replacement of buildings at the Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF). Originally called the Kansas State Penitentiary, the LCF has a capacity of 2,400 inmates and consists of maximum, medium and minimum security units. 

Since many of the LCF buildings are historic, they will be emptied out, but maintained and preserved. The new facility would be designed to serve at least the same capacity as the current prison. The closing date for the RFP is May 12. Construction could take up to two-and-a-half years.

Georgia- The Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA) announced that it is seeking private developers to create affordable and market-rate housing in the Englewood District in partnership with Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. The entity has released a request for qualifications (RFQ) to start a redevelopment of the Atlanta BeltLine community by building the first phase of a 37-acre property located in southeast Atlanta. The 37 acres are located on two non-contiguous sites. The first is a public housing site located on the south side of Englewood Avenue and directly across from the BeltLine's Boulevard Crossing Park. The second area is located on the north side of Englewood Avenue and adjacent to the BeltLine. It is projected that approximately 10 of the 37 acres will be released to one or more developers as the first phase for development. 

AHA and the Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. will spearhead an Area Development Plan. The extensive planning process -- which will include the City of Atlanta, Invest Atlanta, the Atlanta Public Schools and other development stakeholders -- will serve as a catalyst for the complete neighborhood revitalization and the creation of the Englewood District. AHA will select qualified developers with a track record of engaging community leaders and stakeholders, stimulating economic development with retail opportunities, and mitigating community displacement. A conference and site tour will be held on April 20 with submissions for the RFQ due on May 10.

Pennsylvania- Schuylkill County commissioners are seeking a request for qualifications (RFQ) for the construction and management of an intermediate punishment center. Proposals should include retrofitting an existing building, constructing a new facility or contracting a firm that already operates an intermediate punishment center to accept 125 to 175 individuals into their program. With the proposal projected to be awarded by June 14, the submissions are due May 12. This proposed intermediate punishment center will be able to provide treatment for drug-addicted offenders and help them find jobs as they re-enter society.

An intermediate punishment center, also called a prerelease center, was proposed for the county several years ago, but it was cancelled in 2011 when the bids were $1 million over the budget, coming in at $4.2 million. The prisoner count continues to grow and the county continues to outsource their inmates as a result. This outsourcing costed the facility $117,186.97 to house inmates in the month of February.

Louisiana- The city of Shreveport has officially decided to replace its water billing provider for the operation management system for billing and related water and sewer operations. The city is projected to begin requesting proposals in May through a new selection process that will include the city council and administration. 

Shreveport is seeking payment for under-billed water and sewer revenue, which it alleges resulted from various errors, including those made in programming the water rates in the city's billing system in 2014. The city hired their current provider in 2010. Ever since the problems were detected, city officials have been in contact with their provider, and are now working through the steps required by contract prior to filing suit.

Michigan- The city of Southfield wants to create a bustling downtown, and it is seeking to transform its vacant "EverCentre" property into a walking-friendly mixed-use development in a bid to attract more retail business. To move along this process, the city has issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) looking for a developer to create a layout for the property that matches the city's vision for a business-friendly downtown with shopping, restaurants, entertainment and residences. 

Proposals for the 8.15-acre spot in the Southfield City Centre district are due by April 21. The city has been working with a Detroit-based architect firm to analyze how to use the space. Currently the City Centre area is dominated by office parks and strip malls.

Washington, D.C.- In November 2016, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and her Office of Public-Private Partnerships gathered policy experts, public officials and residents at Georgetown's School of Continuing Studies to discuss the city's infrastructure. During the event, the District's Chief Financial Officer, Jeffrey DeWitt, outlined a few of the active P3 projects in the district, which include conversions of street lights to LEDs and additional smart city technology as well as infrastructure necessary to bring the Henry J. Daly Building and Corrections Center up to date. 

The District has more than 71,000 lights which use a variety of inefficient bulb technologies, including incandescent and high-pressure sodium. The District is seeking a P3 to retrofit the lights with more energy efficient light-emitting diode bulbs. An additional opportunity exists to incorporate smart city technologies in the light facilities that provide broadband WiFi, enhanced cell phone services, information kiosks and sensors. The request for proposals (RFP) was released in March and in June public meetings will be held and a draft RFP will be submitted for council review. 

The Henry J. Daly Building, located at 300 Indiana Avenue, serves as the headquarters for the Metropolitan Police Department. An RFP will be released in the coming weeks for a P3 that would include design, build, finance and maintenance of the building to house the police and other government agencies. The current 450,000-square-foot facility was built in 1941. Approximately 100,000 square feet of swing space is also desired to house police personnel during the construction process. 

The Department of Corrections is seeking the design, build, finance and maintenance of a new corrections center that consolidates the existing Correctional Treatment Facility and the Central Detention Facility, located at 1901 D Street. The new facility must be able to accommodate the current inmate population, with the flexibility to adjust for future populations. The facility must include support services for health, dental, food services, laundry, job training, recreation, education, work assignments and more. The facility will be located on the existing site or another property owned by the District government or a third party. Administration offices of the Department of Corrections are located in a separate building. These offices, approximately 80 staff in 20,0000 square feet, could be consolidated in the new facility. The District is also considering the potential to house more inmates currently held in out-of-state facilities being managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The RFP for this project will be released in the coming weeks.

New York- Westchester County legislators have issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the White Plains Airport. The purpose of the RFP is for interested entities to provide technical expertise and financial resources for the creation of a public-private partnership with the goal of operating, managing, maintaining, and improving the airport. The due date for proposals is July 14, with county officials hoping to make a selection in August and the project to be completed by the end of the year. If the deal is approved, the airport would become the first commercially served airport in the U.S. to be privatized. 

Kentucky- Radcliff Mayor Mike Weaver has offered a free, 50-acre site in the city's Millpond Business Center to the Veterans Administration (VA). The VA will form a public-private partnership (P3) to expedite the construction of a new medical center. Based on research, construction would be completed 80 percent cheaper under the P3 approach, according to Dr. Robert Robbins, a retired surgeon who is working with the VA to manage the project. 

Robbins shared that a complete, comprehensive funding plan is currently being developed and will be presented to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in the coming weeks. He also envisions partnering with Hardin Memorial Health and Kentucky universities to form a high-quality integrated health care network in Hardin County. His idea includes using training available through Elizabethtown Community and Technical College and resources of Western Kentucky University.

California- A request for proposals (RFP) has been extended by the Orange County Park until May 4 for companies looking to revitalize the Dana Point Harbor. The RFP process is the second step in a two-part procurement process to enter into a public-private partnership through an option and a 50-year lease plan. The county envisions entering into a master ground lease with a development team to plan, design, permit, fund, construct, renovate, market, operate and manage the Harbor. The chosen partner would be responsible for representing the harbor's vendor owners, monitoring and managing construction of the revitalization project and offering quality assurance consulting services. 

The next steps will be for the proposals to be evaluated, scored and proposers to be interviewed by the evaluation committee. The committee will then make recommendations to the board of supervisors. The board will then consider approval of a preferred proposer and direct staff to negotiate agreements; they will also consider an approval of the option agreement. The preferred proposer will then complete due diligence and meet the terms of the option agreement, and the board will consider the approval of a lease agreement.

Arizona- Officials from the city of Flagstaff and Coconino County have partnered to issue a request for information (RFI) for developers, contractors, business owners and residents about ways to best utilize land owned by the two entities. The county and city have partnered to build a new, joint court facility and parking garage on the site of the old county jail. They also plan to share office space and redevelop the current municipal court complex when it is no longer needed. 

 

The city and county have committed $34 million to the work on the courthouse expansion and other facilities. They are open to a variety of ideas including the creation of a public-private partnership to help with the three facilities. The information that comes out of the RFI process will be used to eventually send out a formal request for proposals (RFP). In the RFI, officials said the city and county are exploring the conveyance of portions of several county-owned properties in exchange for construction and renovation services for the projects. 

Virginia- Roanoke County wants a public-private partnership to help take them on an adventure. The county will be accepting a request for proposals (RFP) through May 17 for those who are interested in providing amenities for the 1,100 acre Explore Park, situated just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. The county has leased the land for 99 years and the parks, recreation and tourism department has produced an adventure plan for their vision of this land. 

The RFP is requesting zipline rides, adventure courses, a variety of overnight accommodations, special event area and retail opportunities. Overnight accommodations include cabins, tent camping sites and yurts. After the proposals have been received, they will be evaluated over the summer and any formal contracts will be reviewed for approval by the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors. The plan is to have recreational amenities open within 24 months.