State’s ‘Public-Private’ Transportation Deal Will Replace 53 Bridges In Allegheny County

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Allegheny County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A team of Pennsylvania-based subcontractors has three years to replace 558 structurally deficient Pennsylvania bridges, including 53 in Allegheny County.

PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch announced Friday that Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners would lead the department’s $899 million Rapid Bridge Replacement Project.

In the “public-private partnership,” the state retains ownership of the bridges, but the team is responsible for replacing the bridges and maintaining them for 25 years. Construction must begin in summer 2015.

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/7027588-74/project-million-penndot#ixzz3H6NZKGOn
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‘Great Momentum’ Behind Downtown Hazleton Revitalization

Downtown Hazleton, PA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A team that will develop a plan for the future of downtown Hazleton is working on a similar downtown revitalization project in Hershey.

With a $30 million streetscape project nearing completion on Broad Street and a private-public partnership funneling millions into the restoration of the Markle and Trader’s Bank buildings, a project manager and architect who will develop a 10-year blueprint for downtown Hazleton said at a revitalization kickoff reception Thursday that the city has plenty of positives to build upon.

“There’s great momentum and we want to harness that momentum and set a vision,” said Christopher J. Brown, a project manager with Derck & Edson, a firm that specializes in improving downtowns, college campuses and athletic venues.

Brown spoke about plans for the downtown at a revitalization kickoff reception at the Markle hosted by the Downtown Hazleton Alliance for Progress.

Read more: http://standardspeaker.com/news/great-momentum-behind-downtown-revitalization-1.1686744

Investors Could Get Tax Credits For Reading Projects

A 1947 topographic map of the Reading, Pennsylvania area. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lancaster-based Community First Fund announced Wednesday that it has received $15 million from the federal New Markets Tax Credit program enticing investors to bring jobs to low-income areas, including Reading.

“Those in the New Markets Tax Credit world know how big a deal this is,” Daniel Betancourt, fund president and chief executive, said at a news conference in the offices of Berks County Community Foundation, Third and Court streets.

Betancourt said the award will significantly increase investment in the region’s lowest-income communities, especially Reading.

The Community First Fund, which has an office at 505 Penn St., was among 85 organizations in the nation getting a share of $3.5 billion in this year’s round.  There were 282 applicants.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=474642

Pennsylvania Lawmakers Eye Private Sector Role In Transportation Projects

Map of Pennsylvania, showing major cities and roads (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  It’s about time we look to the private sector for solutions.  Government gets in the way!

Something has to give.

Pennsylvania has far more transportation projects that need to get done than it has money for. In fact, the state is facing a $3.5 billion shortfall in government funding for transportation.

And since an overhaul in funding methods is unlikely to happen overnight at the federal or state level, Pennsylvania lawmakers are looking to what they say could be baby steps toward a fix.

One proposal in Harrisburg would allow the private sector to invest in Pennsylvania’s transportation system through an arrangement called a public-private partnership, or P3.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=395997