Regional sewer plans in Ascension appear headed for another set back

More than a year after the outgoing Ascension Parish Council decided to explore a public-private partnership to build a $500 million regional sewer system, the plan appears all but dead. The parish agreed in November 2015 to try to work out a deal with Ascension Environmental, SCS Management, GSA and others to move the sewer project forward after years of false starts.

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Trudeau, Trump push for speedy construction of Gordie Howe International Bridge

President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have issued a joint statement of support for an accelerated construction schedule on the new $2.1 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge, according to Crain's Detroit Business.

The bridge - which would connect Detroit and Ontario - is a priority for Canada, and the country has agreed to finance the entire project now and be repaid through tolls after it opens.

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Local Officials Make Use Of The Three 'P's'

Public-private partnerships could continue to transform Wilmington's downtown for many years to come, officials say. They say P3 projects like those under consideration or underway in the Wilmington area can attract additional investment. Potential sites include a New Hanover County-owned downtown block and property the city owns or hopes to buy, along Wilmington's northern gateway.

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San Antonio - Changing The Landscape, Creating Economic Vitality Through Partnerships

Preserving the past while creating the future – that’s the city of San Antonio's objective as it turns an iconic city property into an "urban oasis." Through a series of public-private partnerships (P3s), San Antonio’s Hemisfair park area is being reincarnated and reinvented. The park is a holdover from the 1968 World’s Fair - HemisFair '68- which was held in San Antonio.

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Loans, revenue bonds, existing funds would cover first phase of Aiken utility plan, officials say

TAiken City Council unveiled a $28.4 million plan Monday to begin rehabilitating the City's aging water, sewer and stormwater systems that would be paid for by funds on hand, low-interest state loans and revenue bonds to be repaid by the system's income.

Recently, the City received four proposals from developers seeking to form a public-private partnership to undertake a proposed Downtown Revitalization Project.

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Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions, Wynne/Jackson and Star America to Commence Second Phase of Mixed-Use Project for The University of Texas at Dallas

Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions, a leading developer and operator of infrastructure projects for the college and university market, along with Dallas-based developer Wynne/Jackson and lead equity partner Star America, announced they have reached financial close on the second phase of a mixed-use project for The University of Texas at Dallas.

In this phase, the development team will expand on the Northside Phase 1 development, delivering an additional 275 housing units and more than 6,600 square feet of retail space valued at $67M as part of a Public-Private Partnership.

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Nonprofit to remove blight from JSU foundation property

Officials again have pushed back the completion date for the portion of I-69 between Martinsville and Bloomington. Work now is scheduled to be finished by May 31, 2018 - more than 18 months later than initially estimated. Construction on the 21-mile stretch of I-69 started in 2014. The entire project was estimated to cost about $3 billion, with Section 5 costing the state $425 million.

The public-private partnership formed for construction of Section 5 with the Indiana Finance Authority and I-69 Development Partners hasn't been without controversy, and the completion date has been pushed back multiple times. Major delays started surfacing in September 2016 when subcontractors walked off the job after not getting paid.

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I-69 completion date pushed back

President-elect Donald Trump has promised to make a $1 trillion in infrastructure investments a top priority for him as president. He reaffirmed that pledge in his Nov. 9 victory speech and signs point to public-private partnerships (P3/PPP) as a significant component to his infrastructure plan. 'We are going to fix our inner cities and rebuild our highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, schools, hospitals.

We're going to rebuild our infrastructure, which will become, by the way, second to none. And we will put millions of our people to work as we it,' said Trump.

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Trump promises Canada: No wall for you, only more 'bridges,' extra trade

There was no talk of walls, only bridges as Donald Trump exuded amiability Monday in a first meeting with his Canadian counterpart that suggested the northern neighbor might be spared the brunt of his nationalist America-first platform. The U.S. president shelved the type of trash-talking he directed at Mexico during his election campaign and spoke of building ties with Canada, including more trade, a faster-flowing border, joint work on infrastructure and more labor mobility.

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Expanded Bonding Key to Trump's Infrastructure Plan

Congress is likely to pass a major infrastructure bill this year that would include incentives for private investments in public roads, bridges, and water systems, according to Robert Poole, director of transportation policy at the Reason Foundation.

One of the biggest incentives for private investments that Congress could provide in the next year would be loosening the restrictions on the use of tax-exempt financing for public-private partnerships, Poole said. "Tax-exempt revenue bonds should be allowed for all P3 public purpose projects," he said.

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Emanuel vows to deliver O'Hare express trains Daley dreamed of

Mayor Rahm Emanuel offered a sunny counter-balance to the almost daily beating Chicago has endured about its skyrocketing murder rate from President Donald Trump. In a speech he pre-hyped as a "major address" on infrastructure, Emanuel outlined a 40,000-job sequel to the 2012 plan he called "Building a New Chicago." It includes forging ahead with a high-speed rail line between downtown and O’Hare Airport.

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Content provided by Frank M. Rapoport, Partner at Peckar & Abramson, P.C. and Lucy Ulmer, P3 Specialist at Peckar & Abramson, P.C. The information provided in this Newsletter does not, nor is it intended to, constitute legal advice. Readers should not take or refrain from taking any action based on any information contained in this Newsletter without first seeking legal advice.

Peckar and Abramson, PC is the founder of the P3 Institute, leading clients to capture and manage the P3 Deal.