Author: Mary Scott Nabers

Although large airport projects dominate the news, smaller regional airports are announcing numerous immediate upcoming projects.  Record growth at regional airports along with projections that the growth will continue for decades is driving expansion, upgrades, and new construction.  Many of the projects are quite large. The smaller, but crucial, airports are significant economic drivers which […]

Upcoming transportation projects are abundant throughout the country.   Projects of every size and type can be found, but a sweeping trend is for larger projects to be collaborative in nature. Delivery methods may be called public-private partnerships or comprehensive development agreements, but whatever the name, the common link is that private sector capital is invested […]

Cities with vibrant cultural assets attract tourists, retail establishments, hotels, real estate developers, and appreciation from local citizens. Cultural facilities also boost a region’s economic engine. The 2002 redevelopment of Millennium Park in Chicago, for example, spurred $1.6 billion in revitalization nearby. Libraries, museums, multipurpose theaters, recreational venues, and civic centers also are key components […]

Student housing is a critical component when it comes to recruiting students and retaining them through graduation. Young men and women want to live in modern, purpose-built housing within walking distance of campuses. Some will settle for nothing less – and that is driving a tidal wave of demand for modern, appealing housing options on […]

Economic development is the highest priority for a majority of America’s mayors. And, within that category, parks and recreation is the No. 1 redevelopment priority throughout the country. There are several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that parks generate an incredible amount of revenue for cities. One source reports that more […]

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, America’s schools are in dire need of attention.  That’s obviously a significant understatement because the report explains that the needs of K-12, the U.S.’ second-largest infrastructure sector, will exceed approximately $870 billion between now and the next several years. Of this amount, $490 billion in funding has […]

There are often dire predictions about the U.S. housing marketplace. Experts in the commercial sector worry about interest rates, construction labor shortages, and declining demand. In the government housing marketplace, however, the concerns all center on the great demand for affordable housing, student housing on college and university campuses, and homeless shelters and public housing […]

New trends and contracting opportunities related to public safety all seem to revolve around technology and construction. Thousands of immediate contracting opportunities exist, and they may be found throughout the country at every jurisdictional level of government. Citizens expect to be protected from crime, weather, traffic hazards, fire, and every type of disaster. Taxpayers demand […]

Opportunities continue to be abundant in the health care sector. Because the demand for services is great, competition between health care providers is extremely keen. Every company or system is eager to capture more market share, and that is generating thousands of contracting opportunities for other companies. In 2018 alone, 12 hospital systems announced construction […]

The 1,051 community colleges in the United States – more than 900 of which are public – are no longer viewed as stepping stones for students on the path to a degree from a four-year institution. Because of the country’s growing economy and the immediate need for specialized workers, community colleges are a critical component […]

Cities throughout the United States are announcing revitalization projects. The trend is strong – so strong, in fact, that it’s hard to find a state without a number of cities either in the planning or launching stages of rebuilding their urban cores. These types of initiatives have common components, and they all have a need […]

  Counties are critical to successful economic development efforts. That’s because counties maintain 46 percent of the country’s public road miles and build and maintain more than 38 percent of bridges throughout America, according to National Association of Counties data. They also support more than 900 hospitals nationwide and are involved in the operation of […]

The recent Panama Canal expansion created what some call “a whole new world” for U.S. ports.  Megaships now carry more tonnage, cargo is more diverse and much more of it is shipped throughout the world … especially to U.S. ports. Contractors are in high demand to help ports update infrastructure, add new rail lines, construct […]

The effects of climate change have escalated so significantly that floods and increasing environmental concerns are now being referred to as climate catastrophes. What were once called 500-year storms are occurring every few years. Record heat is causing a growing number of deadly wildfires and the intensity of storms regularly drops record rainfall resulting in […]

As Congressional leaders in Washington debate an infrastructure bill, elected officials at the state and local levels of government are not waiting…they have been moving ahead for the last two years.  In many states, collaborative initiatives have been launched to repair aging infrastructure, install clean energy projects, initiate smart city technology and build social infrastructure. […]

Over the past two decades, schools throughout the country have beefed up campus security – so much so that the school security market has become a multi-billion-dollar industry. Market research firm, IHS Markit, estimates school spending on security projects totaled $2.7 billion in 2017 and that total is expected to hover around $2.8 billion through […]

Sports and entertainment venues contribute significantly to the U.S. economy. The activities associated with both appeal to millions of people.  They generate revenue, attract retail establishments and provide benefits of all types to government. Because of this, sports and entertainment districts have become very “hot items” and every city wants at least one. In the […]

Something good could happen as a result of congressional action.  A recently introduced bill would provide a $5 billion boost for the construction and rehabilitation of government-owned buildings.  The Public Buildings Renewal Act (S. 932), if passed by Congress, will open up tax-exempt financing for public buildings – many of which are in dire need […]

A few motorists – those who are aware of America’s bridge conditions – are occasionally selective about the bridges they cross. Millions of other motorists, however, are unaware of the fact that government leaders nationwide are scrambling to find funds to repair old bridges throughout the U.S. A recent report from the American Road and […]

Municipal leaders throughout the country are focusing lots of attention on convention centers. That’s because convention-related business contributes millions to city coffers. Two years ago, communities in the United States with convention centers shared in $845 billion in revenue generated by the meetings industry along with $104 billion in tax receipts. New data shows a […]

The United States has incredibly busy airports – in fact, some of the busiest in the world. That’s good, because it indicates that many of the more than 4 billion global air passengers each year are flying in or out of America. However, a sobering statistic is troubling. America no longer has a single airport […]

Lots of funding is flowing to public transit authorities.  An American Public Transportation Association (APTA) report points out that there’s approximately $232 billion in critical public transportation needs across the country, and if that $232 billion were spent over 10 years, the result would be a return of $928 billion over 20 years.  That’s because […]

Government data centers reached a tipping point some time ago and now big changes are occurring.  A recent Gartner report explained that traditional (and older) data centers, which are exactly what most governmental entities rely on, are being relegated to legacy holding areas where only specific services are handled. As government leaders adapt to extreme […]