SPI Insights

Looking for engineering and construction opportunities?  Look no further than ports! Investment in America’s ports is accelerating significantly and port spending will increase again in 2019. Because of the neo-Panamax megaships, ports throughout the country are expanding shipping channels and harbors.  They are also expanding rail lines and constructing new facilities or significantly expanding older […]

Recognizing that two heads really are better than one, governmental officials nationwide are taking the very old adage to the extreme as they work toward “smart city” status. In what is already a major trend, cities are partnering with private-sector businesses, corporations, educational organizations, civic groups, private individuals and non-government organizations.  The partnerships  or Smart […]

Almost every airport in the country will likely be expanded or upgraded over the next 24 months. Not a single airport in the U.S. is listed in the top 20 airports worldwide anymore.  Because of aging infrastructure, the lack of leading edge technology, transit options and minimal passenger comforts, the country’s airports are in dire […]

The United States ranks number one in the world for health care spending as a percentage of GDP.  That sounds great… but, Texas ranks only 11th worldwide when it comes to performance.  That’s because of “access to care.” The country’s health care rankings are likely to get worse as 673 rural hospitals in the U.S. […]

Political candidates weren’t the only ones vying for the attention of voters this week. More than 508 bond issues totaling approximately $48.8 billion were decided in elections throughout the country. The bond issues that passed will result in millions of dollars being spent on projects such as new school construction, water and wastewater upgrades, affordable housing, […]

Many still think of Smart Cities as a futuristic possibility but, in most metropolitan areas, the rush to initiate smart city technology is happening in real time. While citizens may not be ready for this, technology and the internet of things (IoT) appear to be inevitable. There is concern, however, because without transparency and proper […]

Tax breaks are universally coveted!  And, tax incentives attached to investments in government projects have attracted the attention of investors and developers. Last week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced eagerly awaited proposed regulations and guidelines for a program that trades tax incentives for investments in projects in underserved communities in the nation’s 8,700 new […]

Last week, 14 packages containing pipe bombs were delivered to individuals who were either public officials or connected to government in some way. Another similar package carrying a bomb was intercepted before it reached its target this week. While the devices were detected before they could detonate, and a suspect has been apprehended, the incident […]

Visionary developers are being courted aggressively by city leaders throughout the country.  They are also in high demand by other public officials, including university planners, transit authorities, county officials, school administrators and public hospital leaders. There’s a reason for this new popularity – mixed-use development has become one of the hottest new tools for generating […]

Donald Trump has been promising to build a physical border wall since his earliest campaign days.  The wall, however, sparks so much controversy from all sides it is believed to be DOA with Congress. The cost of a wall would add billions more to the national debt and almost every expert says there is no […]