Is construction picking up throughout the Mid-Atlantic region? Here are just a few summaries of headlines for Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania
Maryland:
As of March 2011, construction projects in several Maryland counties continue to increase, and construction contracts “were up 55% when compared to the same month in 2010.” For the first quarter, future construction contracts reached $272M.
These statistics include Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard and Queen Anne’s,counties in Maryland . The commercial projects included, but were not limited to, the construction of commercial, manufacturing, educational, religious, administrative, recreational, hotel, and dormitory buildings.
Delaware:
Delaware Governor Jack Markell spoke to Delaware business leaders on May 4, 2011 proposing how to spend the projected surplus above the $3.4 billion operating budget he proposed in January.
Ideally, Markell wants to spend $135 million of a projected $320 million budget surplus “on one-time construction projects to stimulate the economy” through a new initiative, the Building Delaware’s Future Now fund.
Some of the projects Markell suggests committing funds to include:
- $40 million for a new jobs infrastructure fund to pay for road and sewer improvements for getting new companies to relocate to Delaware;
- $40 million for the state’s Transportation Trust Fund;
- $35 million for the preservation of historic buildings, the capital complex in Dover and state parks facilities;
- $10 million for investing in affordable housing projects; and
- $10 million for open space preservation.
Pennsylvania:
Pennsylvania has been awarded $40M, from the US Department of Transportation, for additional rail lines, leading from Philadelphia to Harrisburg. The funds come as part of the $2.4B that Florida Governor Rick Scott declined. Erin Waters, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) said the “upgrade would shave another 7 to 9 minutes from the travel time between Harrisburg and Philadelphia,” by improving the switch and signal network in Harrisburg.
No timeline has currently been released for this project.
Also in Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth Financing Authority approved $172M to fund 160 water infrastructure projects, in 51 counties, through the H2O PA program.
The H2O PA program provides “grants for flood control projects, construction of drinking water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer projects and high hazard or unsafe dam projects.”
For a complete list of projects and their descriptions please visit www.newpa.com.