Hawaii – The Aloha Stadium Authority voted on May 6 to demolish the 46-year-old stadium to make way for a mixed-use development that could include residential, retail, entertainment, hotel, office, and other spaces.

The date for demolition of the existing facility will not be known until the request for proposals (RFP) phase is completed for the stadium project, which is projected for the second quarter of 2022. Demolition will likely occur in the latter months of 2022.

On May 4, Hawaii launched its market outreach for the real estate development portion of the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District (NASED) project with a webinar that was open to the development industry and the public.

The state’s Department of Accounting and General Services will issue two RFPs in July for redevelopment of the 70 to 80 acres surrounding the 20-acre stadium site. The state anticipates awarding a contract in the first or second quarter of 2022 and beginning construction in late 2022 or early 2023. Completion of the NASED real estate component will be in line with the opening of the new Aloha Stadium.

Plans call for about 1.2 million square feet of development within the first five years after construction begins. An additional 1 million square feet of development is expected to be added every five years.

Completion of the entire master plan is expected to take approximately 20 years.

Virginia – An expansion of passenger rail that could feature Washington, D.C. to Roanoke service highlighted an agreement between the state of Virginia and a private railway.

The $257.2 million Western Rail Initiative features $219 million in infrastructure investments and $38.2 million for acquisition of right-of-way and track for approximately 28.5 miles of the Virginian Line from the Salem Crossovers west of Roanoke to Merrimac (Christiansburg).

Planned infrastructure upgrades include:

The agreement includes both an increase of existing service and expansion of service to the New River Valley. In 2022, an additional round-trip train to Roanoke will depart Washington, D.C., in the morning and serve Alexandria, Burke, Manassas, Culpeper, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, and Roanoke.

Virginia plans to partner with the members of the New River Valley Passenger Rail Station Authority to fund the construction of a station building, parking, and roadway access for the station.

The expansion is part of the state’s previously announced $3.7 billion Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative to expand and improve passenger, commuter, and freight rail in Virginia and create a rail connection between the Northeast and Southeast corridors.

Indiana – Two state agencies are partnering on a request for information (RFI) regarding a web-based data collection, reporting, and billing system for two health programs.

The Indiana Department of Administration (IDOA), in conjunction with the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH), is soliciting information from potential contractors interested in providing a web-based data collection, reporting, and billing system for the Indiana Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IN-BCCP) and the Indiana Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for WOMen Across the Nation (IN-WISEWOMAN) Program.

Additionally, IDOH requests abilities to scale up should funding for collection of similar minimum data elements become available.

Indiana is seeking a data management system to submit the Minimum Data Elements (MDEs) to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), maintain a searchable database for MDEs, facilitate coordination of efforts between regional coordinators, providers, patients and state contacts, support nurse case management, submit reimbursement for services rendered to providers, and support program organization and policies as written by the IDOH and CDC.

The state requires a modern, web-based system which supports a paperless claims process, the collection of essential data, and full compliance with federal requirements.

RFI submissions are due by 2 p.m. June 23.

Idaho – Gov. Brad Little signed a transportation funding bill on May 10 that marks the single largest state investment in transportation infrastructure in Idaho history.

HB 362 directs $80 million in ongoing funding and allows Idaho to bond up to $1.6 billion over 20 years for road and bridge projects across the state.

To help advance bid-ready transportation projects across Idaho, Gov. Little and the Legislature directed $126 million in one-time funds this year from the state’s record budget surplus as part of the governor’s Building Idaho’s Future plan.

One of the projects set to receive funding is the extension of Idaho 16 south from Chinden Boulevard to Interstate 84. The Idaho Transportation Department is completing the final design of Idaho 16’s interim phase that will construct 5 miles of new four-lane limited access highway.

New York – The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Board of Commissioners recently approved an agreement to expand Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Initially authorized by the board in February 2020 as a $3.8 billion expansion and modernization project, the now $1.5-billion plan will be revised in response to COVID-19's impact on air travel and prioritize components including new gates and other elements in the new design.

The Terminal 4 project will modernize and expand the existing terminal, adding more than 150,000 square feet and 10 new gates, serving primarily regional and domestic flights.

In addition, the project will expand and renovate the arrivals and departures hall to improve the ticketing areas, security check points, baggage claim, and arrivals areas.

Other project features include the replacement of 11 gates currently used at Terminal 2, which was built in 1962, and the demolition of that 58-year-old terminal. The project will expand seating areas and concessions and add modern wayfinding and new or upgraded restrooms. The expansion includes a new lounge in Terminal 4’s Concourse A.

Groundbreaking is scheduled for later this year, with full project completion in late 2023.

Maine – To meet the increasing demands on public transportation and lands in Maine, Gov. Janet Mills presented a $140 million bond package.

The scaled-back version of Mills’ State of the Budget Address preview earlier this year will dedicate $100 million to maintain and upgrade the state’s transportation system and $40 million over four years to conserve lands and waters.

By infusing the nearly depleted Land for Maine’s Future Program, the state can leverage federal funding from the Great American Outdoors Act.

The $100 million transportation bond represents a critical component of the capital funding in the Maine Department of Transportation’s (MaineDOT) three-year Work Plan. The bond and matching federal funds, depending on funding sources and costs, is expected to support capital projects statewide in 2022, including:

If the capital funding for transportation represented by this bond is not provided, MaineDOT will need to significantly cut back its Work Plan for 2022.

Illinois – The city of Chicago released a request for information (RFI) regarding a new franchise agreement for electric utility service.

Through the RFI process, for the first time in nearly 30 years the city will evaluate information from the electricity industry, including its current provider, regarding a new franchise agreement with the city.

Chicago’s mayor said she expects the next franchise agreement will focus on delivering safe and reliable service, greater transparency, and reduction of low-income residents’ electricity bills.

The RFI issuance does not sever the relationship with the city’s existing provider or represent a decision to move forward to negotiate a franchise with another utility provider. Instead, it serves as a due diligence effort. After evaluating responses to the RFI, the city may choose to propose a new franchise agreement with its current provider, or it may consider additional steps to evaluate other franchise options and partners.

City officials anticipate moving to the next step of the franchising process later in 2021, which includes proceeding to a request for formal proposals from potential franchisees or a presentation to the City Council of a new negotiated franchise with the current provider that includes companion energy and equity provisions.

RFI submissions are due by 4 p.m. May 28.

Oregon – Lane County Department of Human Resources released a request for information (RFI) to determine the current technological capabilities of learning technologies and platforms and relative price points. This could include Learning Management Systems, Learning Experience Platforms, and Learning Record Stores.

The county is seeking information on:

Lane County entered an agreement with a learning management system provider in July 2015 and implemented the enterprise learning management system in February 2016. The contract for the provider will expire in fall 2022.

The county will be required to go through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process to renew/replace the system. Lane County is researching providers, functionality, advances in learning technologies, and price‐points through this RFI as a first step.

Responses will help the county determine whether a RFP will be issued subsequently. If the county decides to issue a RFP, it is expected to occur within one to three months following the completion of the RFI.

The deadline for RFI responses is 4 p.m. June 3.

California – The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) anticipates issuing a request for proposals (RFP) in FY 2022 to implement a passenger counting program. Through the program, SANDAG will fulfill a federal requirement and obtain data required for local transit planning and performance monitoring.

This project also manages the Trolley and SPRINTER ridership estimation counts and other minor surveys.

The primary focus will be on improving data collection and accuracy as well as procuring a new contract for the storage, hosting, and processing of passenger counting data.

SANDAG’s contract for automated passenger counting is set to expire in FY 2021.

Oklahoma – Edmond Public Schools is putting two bond propositions totaling $65 million before voters on May 11 to fund school additions, acquire land for future schools, and repair and upgrade other facilities.

Bond Proposition No. 1 would authorize up to $63.7 million in bond sales for:

Security improvements, playground upgrades, signage updates, and flooring replacements constitute the remainder of the proposal.

Bond Proposition No. 2 would fund $1.3 million for the district to purchase small and large buses and high-capacity sport utility vehicles.

Rhode Island – The town of Smithfield is planning to issue two requests for proposals (RFPs) aimed at increasing the town’s renewable energy production, likely through solar power.

One procurement will be issued to hire a clean energy finance consultant, and the other solicitation will involve linking the town’s energy accounts to a renewable energy source, such as solar or wind. The consultant would review RFP submissions and recommend a course of action.

The town is considering a local gravel pit and a landfill as potential sites, in addition to acquiring energy from solar producers elsewhere in the state.

A representative from the Rhode Island Energy Office estimated the project timeline would take six months to a year to complete.

Virginia – The state’s Department of Corrections issued a request for information (RFI) regarding document management systems.

A new content management system would allow the department to organize electronic forms using a method that will dynamically generate webpages and reports with links to the documents.

The project to implement this system will include the work to migrate the existing documents to the new system and update the documents to include new links, PDF formats, and form fields.

Potential solutions should provide:

The deadline for RFI responses is 9 a.m. May 24.

Louisiana – The Louisiana State University (LSU) Board of Supervisors named William Tate IV as the next LSU president. He will succeed Interim President Tom Galligan. Tate most recently served as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of South Carolina. Before that, he was vice provost for graduate education at Washington University in St. Louis.

Oklahoma – The Oklahoma Transportation Cabinet selected Joni Seymour as the first chief innovation officer for its agencies that include the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Turnpike Authority (OTA), and Aeronautics Commission. Most recently, Seymour served as chief information officer for the OTA. Before that, she worked in the private sector and as a software development manager at OTA.

Maryland – The College Park City Council appointed Natasha Hampton as the new city manager, effective June 1. She will succeed Interim City Manager Bill Gardiner who filled the position after Scott Somers resigned in December. Hampton most recently served as assistant city manager of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Before that, she was assistant city manager and acting city manager for Miramar, Florida.

Ohio – The city of Columbus selected Erin Prosser as the city’s first assistant director of housing strategies. Prosser most recently served as the director of community development in the Department of Planning, Architecture and Real Estate at The Ohio State University. Before that, she worked as a planner and project manager at a multi-disciplinary design and planning firm and served as a planner for Franklin County’s Economic and Planning Department.

Florida – The Charlotte County Airport Authority named Gary Duncan as director of airport operations/projects at Punta Gorda Airport. Duncan most recently served as deputy director of aviation for the Lee County Port Authority where he managed operations at Southwest Florida International Airport and Page Field. Before that, he was general aviation manager of the Jacksonville Port Authority.

California – The city of Elk Grove promoted Nicole Guttridge as the city’s first chief information officer. Previously, Guttridge served as an information technology administrator for Elk Grove and a consultant to the city.

Mary Scott Nabers, Publisher

Devin Monk, Editor

Government Contracting Pipeline, a publication of Strategic Partnerships, Inc., is a free, weekly newsletter detailing important happenings nationwide and the premier source for federal, state, and local government news and contracting opportunities.