We are living in historic times, and we are fortunate to be able to participate in the rebuilding of America’s infrastructure. The funding that has been made available and the projects that are being launched will be written about and studied for decades to come.

All of the country’s infrastructure networks are getting attention and that includes the public safety sectors. Just recently, the White House reported that $10 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funding has now been allocated to public safety. This is one of the largest single-year commitments of federal money ever made available for state and local law enforcement initiatives. At the same time, state leaders are also allocating funding for public safety efforts and citizens are approving bond funding to support local safety projects. There is no shortage of funding options for public officials who are committed to upgrading and enhancing public safety.

Cities and counties have funding now that allows them to pursue more efficient, integrative, and adaptable ways to enhance public safety and law enforcement services. It is obvious that many community officials will begin by building new public safety facilities and consolidate police, fire, EMS, and all other first responders.

A recently announced White House initiative, the Safer America Plan, ensures even more financial support for enhancing public safety. Beginning in 2023, this new program will invest approximately $35 billion in support for law enforcement and crime prevention. The examples of some of the first new projects being launched provide a quick look at what can be expected in the next several years.

Congressional offices have started announcing where Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants will be awarded. It will be officially announced in the coming days by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).

In Alabama, the city of Huntsville is securing $20 million to improve pedestrian access downtown. Funds will be used to design and construct multimodal improvements on approximately 1.2 miles of the Pedestrian Access and Redevelopment Corridor (PARC), linking downtown Huntsville to neighborhoods that are physically isolated by U.S. Route 231/431, Governors Drive, and the Pinhook Creek. The scope of the project consists of approximately 6,000 feet of multimodal improvements, a cable-suspended pedestrian bridge, three bowstring truss pedestrian bridges, replacement of a railroad bridge, and flood mitigation measures.

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority will receive more than $22.3 million to fund charging infrastructure, facility upgrades, and the procurement of approximately 25 battery-electric buses which will enable all Newport-based transit services to be electric.

Funding of $20 million will finance the Long Bridge Bicycle and Pedestrian Crossing Project. The scope of the project includes a new bicycle-pedestrian bridge that crosses the Potomac River between Long Bridge Park in Arlington, Virginia, and East and West Potomac Parks in the District of Columbia.

Other projects identified include the following:

USDOT issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the RAISE grants early this year. This round made $1.5 billion available for the discretionary grants program.

New York - A new study was released August 4 on the use of public-private partnerships (P3) that could be employed to make safety improvements on the Southern State Parkway, including adding a special toll lane. Southern State Parkway is well-known to be a dangerous 26-mile road through Long Island, particularly a 10-mile stretch between Exit 17 in Malverne and Exit 32 in Farmingdale.

The use of a P3 could help fund the parkway’s reconstruction with a funding stream supported through a high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane. Tolls on the HOT lane may be adjusted based on congestion levels, with the existing six lanes remaining toll-free. This would help to defray the costs of a $1 billion-plus rebuild to today’s engineering safety specifications.

According to the study, hazardous conditions on the parkway contributed to more than 4,000 accidents on the roadway in 2019. These conditions include sharp curves, short acceleration and deceleration ramps, the profusion of smaller exits, and the proximity of three major intersecting north-south highways.

The design of the parkway has only had a few improvements since the first section opened in 1927, when it was built to improve beach access for automobiles traveling 35 miles per hour.

Indiana - Purdue University Board of Trustees approved its 10-year Capital Plan, which includes funding requests the university plans to send to the state. Projects include $77 million to cool buildings on the West Lafayette campus by making chilled water enhancements to the HVAC system. The Purdue Northwest campuses in Hammond and Westville also will receive a water chiller project.

The largest project, a 201,000-square-foot academic home for the College of Pharmacy and the School of Nursing, will cost $160 million for construction with $89 million requested from the state.

Also planned is a $15 million Energetics Research Lab on the West Lafayette campus. This project will construct a building to fabricate, test, detect, deploy and defeat next-generation energetic materials used in modern weapons systems.

Pennsylvania - After five decades, the Pennsylvania Turnpike will start advertising for bids to build the approximately 3.1 miles of highway from Rout 51 in Jefferson Hill to Coal Valley Road in West Mifflin. The commission has estimated a cost of $800 million to build this southern section of the highway.

Work on the more expensive northern section of the highway, which includes a bridge across the Monongahela River, is on hold until more funding becomes available and is not expected to be completed sometime beyond 2030. The overall cost of completing both sections of the highway is expected to cost just over $2 billion.

Since its initial conception in the 1960s, the project has had many stops and starts. But, despite changes in the surrounding communities, officials envision the area becoming a hub for warehouse development and playing a key role in helping resolve the supply-chain issues now affecting many businesses.

The agency expects to advertise for bids on October 26 and open them on December 21. They will then issue a notice to proceed to the lowest responsible bidder in February of 2023.

New Mexico - The University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) is requesting design services for a Children's Psychiatric Center. The new facility includes 52 child psychiatric inpatient beds designated in separate units grouped by age with necessary patient and staff support services for each unit. Each unit is to be served by a large outdoor area for recreational activity which may include access to a basketball court, park, and track.

A building assessment and feasibility study will be conducted on the existing buildings on the Children's Psychiatric Center campus - excluding the four remaining inpatient cottages. The study will focus on code applicability, HVAC, and building systems analysis. The consultant also will provide pricing for three strategic site studies.

A Campus Development Plan also is requested to evaluate the building placement, spatial relationships, utility connections, and need to maintain existing campus operation. The cost of construction is estimated at $27 million.

The request for proposals for the design services is due by September 1, 2022, at 3 p.m. MDT.

New Jersey - The Cherry Hill school district plans to ask voters October 6 for approval of a $363-million referendum. If the bond does pass, work would begin at the earliest in June 2023 and continue for a few years. Funding would be used to make upgrades to the district’s 19 schools.  

The first part of the bond question covers schools receiving various improvements, alterations, renovations, repairs, and upgrades. Schools include Malberg Early Childhood Center; Cooper, Kilmer, Paine, and Woodcrest elementary schools; Beck and Carusi middle schools; and Lewis Alternative High School. 

Another group of schools will receive the same renovations and upgrades as well as new construction. They include Barton, Harte, Johnson, Kingston, Knight, Mann, Sharp, and Stockton elementary schools; Rosa Middle School; and Cherry Hill East and West. Notable projects include adding all-purpose rooms to elementary schools and expanding the F-wing at East. 

The last successful bond referendum passed by the Cherry Hill school district was in 1999, for $52 million. 

Florida - The city of Palm Coast desires to know the market demand and feasibility of building a sports complex. There may be a growing need for high quality venues to host regional, state-wide, and even national sporting events for the 93,000 residents.

The city plans to have a study performed by a consulting firm with experience in amateur sports facility planning. The project objectives are as follows:

The consultant will present the first phase of the project within 60 days. The city will then determine whether the information presented provides sufficient support for further investigation. If so, this will lead to the launch of phase two with the consultant - development plan, financial analysis, and economic benefit projections. This phase will take an additional 60 days.

The deadline to submit the sports complex feasibility study request for statement of qualifications is August 18, 2022, at 2 p.m. EDT.

Georgia - The University System of Georgia Board of Regents has approved to move forward with improvements to the south side of Sanford Stadium. The $68.5 million project will be built in two phases to minimize disruption during the 2022 and 2023 football seasons.  

The first phase would build a new entryway and plaza and widen the lower-level concourse to make it easier for fans to get around the 92,000-seat stadium. It would add new concession stands, expand bathrooms by adding more toilets and sinks, and relocate and expand seating for people with disabilities. 

The second phase would build a new 154-seat press box on the southwest corner of stadium, add six new suites with a total of 125 seats, and convert the existing press box into expanded club space for donors with 270 seats. The project would also add restrooms and a new elevator on the stadium’s upper level. 

Regents also approved a $26.7 million plan to replace the Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Tennis Facility, built in 1979. The new building would include six indoor tennis courts, up from four. Officials said having six courts would let the university bid for NCAA tournaments.  

Alabama - The Tuscaloosa City Council has passed a resolution supporting the move into design phase services for both the Saban Center and proposed event center.

The Saban Center will become a state-of-the-art interactive learning center offering science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs. It will be the new home for the Children's Hands-On Museum and the Tuscaloosa Children's Theater.

The estimated 72,000-square-foot event center is a proposed convention, sports, and event facility designed to fill a gap in the city's ability to draw events. The facility also will feature a 30,000-square-foot ballroom.

The city plans to build the Saban Center and the event center on the property that houses the Tuscaloosa News building. The full cost of construction and operation will be paid for privately. Current total estimates for both centers is $90 million.

Finalizing designs will be the project’s next big step. Solicitations are expected to be released in October of 2023 for the construction phase.

Pennsylvania - Delaware County Council is examining the feasibility of renovating or constructing an addition to the former Lima juvenile detention center that has been closed since mid-2021. The study examines adding a juvenile program consisting of 20 beds to the facility.

Initially, many options for the site were going to be examined, including renovating the existing facility, demolishing and rebuilding, renovating and constructing an addition, or identifying another county-owned campus.

However, due to the time concerns surrounding the detention center, the scope of analysis was limited and is expected to take no longer than four months. The study will define a program based on state licensing required elements, spatial needs, and square footage needed for the project. Conceptual plans for repurposing the Lima site and pricing estimates will also be included.

The new center will reflect best practices in trauma-informed care, and access to support and services will be incorporated into the facility.

Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have chosen 11 communities for the Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap Community Initiative pilot project.

Each community or tribe will receive direct support to address wastewater infrastructure shortcomings, including developing wastewater assessments with technical engineering support, developing wastewater community solution plans, identifying and pursuing funding opportunities, and building long-term capacity.

An estimated 2.2 million people in the United States lack basic running water and indoor plumbing. Many more live with wastewater infrastructure that is ineffective and puts people’s health at risk.

EPA and USDA—in partnership with state, tribal, and local partners—are launching the initiative in the following locations:

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development will begin accepting applications on September 6 for funding to expand access to high-speed internet. The application deadline for the ReConnect Program is November 2. The department will begin accepting applications for up to $150 million in loans, up to $300 million in loan/grant combinations, and up to $700 million in grants. Funds from the program will be appropriated under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  

USDA has made several improvements to the ReConnect Program for Round 4. Collectively, they increase the availability of funding in rural areas where residents and businesses lack access to affordable, high-speed internet.   

To be eligible for ReConnect Program funding, an applicant must serve an area where high-speed internet service is not available at download speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 20 Mbps. The applicant must also commit to building facilities capable of providing high-speed internet service at speeds of 100 Mbps (download and upload) to every location in its proposed service area. 

Washington - The city of Renton has named Steven Gleason as airport director of Renton Municipal Airport (RNT). Gleason will oversee strategic and program planning, policy development and implementation, and establish and maintain communicative relations with airport tenants, state, and federal agencies. He began his position on June 1, 2022. Gleason previously was the airport manager for Provo Airport in Utah.

Illinois - Gov. JB Pritzker has appointed Dr. Sameer Vohra, a pediatrician and healthcare policy expert, to lead the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). His appointment began August 1. Dr. Vohra, the founding chair of the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine’s (SIU-SOM) Department of Population Science and Policy, follows Dr. Ngozi Ezike, who stepped down in March after leading IDPH and the state of Illinois through the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michigan - The Morenci School Board has hired Jennifer Ellis as superintendent. Ellis has been the Clinton Elementary School principal for the past four years. Prior to her position with Clinton schools, she worked for the Lenawee Intermediate School District as special education supervisor for three years. Ellis replaces former Superintendent Mike McAran.

California - Oakland City Administrator Ed Reiskin has announced the appointment of Fred Kelley as the new director of the Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT). For the past two years, Kelley has served as OakDOT’s assistant director, leading six operating divisions staffed by 375 engineers, planners, and maintenance staff. Prior to the city of Oakland, Kelley served as transportation division manager for the city of Hayward. Kenney replaces Ryan Russo, who announced in February that he would be leaving his post and returning to New York.

Maryland - Newly-elected Salisbury University President Carolyn Ringer Lepre officially took the reins on July 15. Lepre, whose academic background is in mass communications and journalism, was previously interim president of Radford University in Virginia since July 2021. Before that, she served as the university’s provost and vice president for academic affairs. Lepre replaces retired President Charles Wight.

New Jersey - Newark Mayor Ras Baraka announced the appointment of Fritz Fragé as the city’s new public safety director. Fragé, a retired lieutenant colonel with the New Jersey police, took over the department from Brian O’Hara, who moved to a newly-created position of deputy mayor for strategic initiatives for police services/public safety. Fragé is the city’s third public safety director since Baraka created the position in 2015 to oversee the new public safety department, which merged the city’s police, fire, and emergency services.

Mary Scott Nabers, Publisher

Kristin Gordon, 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.