Georgia - Gov. Brian Kemp signed a $26 billion budget for the new fiscal year that includes a 10 percent spending cut but allocates more than $1.1 billion toward several major construction, expansion, and renovation projects.

The budget sets aside $70 million to put toward the $235 million expansion of the Savannah Convention Center. Plans call for doubling the size of the 100,000-square-foot exhibit hall and adding a 40,000-square-foot ballroom, an entrance, outdoor areas, 15 meeting rooms, and 900 parking spaces. Utilities are being relocated in preparation for the construction of a new hotel.

Legislators earmarked $34.8 million to expand Building 100 at Gwinnett Technical College, $20.08 million to construct a new conference center at Lake Lanier Island, and $12 million for infrastructure upgrades at Georgia World Congress Center.

Southern Crescent Technical College will receive $6.72 million from the state budget to purchase land, design, and construct the Center or Education and Entrepreneurship.

More than $4.8 million will go toward designing, constructing, and equipping a dental hygiene teaching lab at Georgia State University-Dunwoody.

Other projects receiving funding are:

• Commercial driver's license testing center - Douglasville, $3.4 million;
• Lanier Tech-Oakwood campus renovations - $2.3 million;
• Georgia Veterans Education Career Transition Resource Center renovations - $2.25 million;
• Hickory Flat Library design, construction, and equipment - $2 million;
• Kennesaw State University chemistry lab design, construction, and equipment - $2 million;
• Fowler Road Library design, construction, and equipment - $2 million; and,
• Clayton State University infrastructure upgrades - $1.5 million.

Louisiana - Ascension Public Schools will host a series of public meetings to provide information on its upcoming $140 million bond election on August 15.

If approved, the district would build a new $79.55 million high school in Prairieville to help it maintain optimal enrollment size for all high schools.

A $27 million makeover of East Ascension High School will feature modern facilities, classrooms with greater access to technology, and outdoor spaces for students to collaborate and learn.

Other bond projects include upgrading playing surfaces with artificial grass at all high school stadiums for $7.59 million, renovating and improving Gonzales Middle School for $5 million, building a classroom addition at St. Amant Primary School for $4.47 million, and renovating classroom buildings at St. Amant Middle School for $4 million.

 
If approved, the district would renovate classroom buildings at Dutchtown Middle School for $2.6 million and put $2.37 million toward an information technology center.

New York - The city of New York Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a developer to design, construct, and own solar PV systems at 50 sites throughout the five boroughs.

The project calls for the installation of up to 16 megawatts of solar energy on the rooftops of 46 New York City public schools and several New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) sites, including its Wards Island Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility.

Adding solar PV systems to the school rooftops will enable the city to incorporate a new power source into the school districts' infrastructure and allow the city to purchase power generated on site.

At Wards Island, a combination of ground mounted, carport, rooftop, and elevated canopy solar PV systems will be installed throughout the eight-facility complex. Power generated will serve the loads of the plant and a potential battery energy storage system which could reduce demand charges.

As part of the overall project, more than 1 megawatt of solar arrays also will be installed at the Catskill/Delaware Ultraviolet Light Disinfection facility in Valhalla and at wastewater resource recovery facilities in Pine Hill and Margaretville.

Deadline for submissions has been extended to August 7.

Washington, D.C. - The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is taking applications for Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment Program grant funding totaling $60 million.

Up to $12 million per project is available to fund new technologies that enhance the performance of U.S. transportation systems, reduce traffic congestion, and improve the safety of the traveling public.

Grant recipients may use the funds to deploy advanced transportation and congestion management technologies, including advanced traveler information systems and management technologies.

• Infrastructure maintenance, monitoring, and condition assessment;
• Advanced public transportation systems;
• Transportation system performance data collection, analysis, and dissemination systems;
• Advanced safety systems, including vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications;
• Technologies associated with autonomous vehicles, and other collision avoidance technologies, including systems using cellular technology;
• Integration of intelligent transportation systems with the Smart Grid and other energy distribution and charging systems;
• Electronic pricing and payment systems; or,
• Advanced mobility and access technologies, such as dynamic ridesharing and information systems to support human services for elderly and disabled individuals.

The FHWA encourages partnership with the private sector or public agencies, including multimodal and multijurisdictional entities, research institutions, organizations representing transportation and technology leaders, or other transportation stakeholders.

In its fifth year, the program has provided more than $206 million for projects in 23 states and the District of Columbia. The closing date for applications is August 31.

Pennsylvania - The Office of Public-Private Partnerships (P3) at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is accepting unsolicited proposals for transportation projects from the private sector through July 31.

PennDOT postponed its unsolicited proposal period from April to July because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The submission period applies to PennDOT-owned projects and infrastructure. During this period, the private sector may submit proposals that feature project delivery innovations across multiple transportation modes including roads, bridges, rail, aviation, and ports.

Proposals also may include more efficient models to manage existing transportation-related services and programs.

The state's P3 law allows PennDOT and other transportation authorities and commissions to partner with private companies to participate in delivering, maintaining, and financing transportation-related projects.

As part of the P3 law, the seven-member Public Private Transportation Partnership Board was appointed to examine and approve potential P3 transportation projects. If the board determines a state operation would be more cost-effectively administered by a private company, the company will be authorized to submit a proposal and enter into a contract to either completely or partially take over that operation for a defined period of time.