Site work and paving for a mixed-use development in Albany, New York. Working plans call for site work for a sidewalk / parking lot; and for paving for a sidewalk / parking lot.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albany/news/2023/01/09/new-york-state-787-feasibility-study-firms.html The New York State Department of Transportation is in the final stages of hiring a consultant to "re-imagine" the future of Interstate 787 in Albany -- a project that could result in big changes to the multi-lane highway, railroad tracks and bridges that separate downtown from the Hudson River. Parsons Transportation Group of New York Inc., part of Parsons Corp. (NYSE: PSN) based in Centreville, Virginia, ranked first on an "engineering opportunities designations" list released by the DOT. Stantec Consulting Group of of Edmonton, Canada, ranked second. AECOM USA Inc. of Dallas placed third on the list, according to a Nov. 2 posting on the DOT website. The three firms were among seven that responded by the Sept. 12 deadline to submit their qualifications to the DOT. The agency "expects the process to be completed by this spring," according to the DOT. "We will keep the community apprised of further developments." Parsons' portfolio includes roads, highways, bridges, tunnels and bridges. Its 2021 fiscal revenue was $3.7 billion. A company official couldn't immediately be reached for comment. State government leaders set aside $5 million in this year's budget to pay for a feasibility study to examine ways to reconfigure I-787. The study will focus on several areas, including potentially reducing the elevation of the South Mall Expressway to the street level; determining the needs of the CP Rail train tracks that run parallel to the highway; how to improve access to the river in Albany, Menands and Watervliet; and ideas such as a boulevard, tunnel and canal/waterways. The request for qualifications included an estimated construction cost breakdown of $667 million for "highway" and $333 million for "bridge," for a total of $1 billion, with the expectation funding would be provided by the state and federal governments. Highway reconfigurations are happening across the country to improve pedestrian/bicycle access to riverfronts, spur economic development and remove physical barriers that often severed low-income neighborhoods in many cities ____________________________ https://www.bizjournals.com/albany/news/2022/10/11/787-redesign-albany-contract-firms.html Seven engineering and design firms whose portfolios include highway, bridge and infrastructure projects throughout the nation or across the world have expressed interest to be the lead consultant to "reimagine" Interstate 787 in Albany. The following firms responded by the Sept. 12 deadline to a "request for qualifications" issued by the state Department of Transportation: AECOM USA Inc. JMT of New York Inc. Ove Arup & Partners PC Parsons Transportation Group of New York Inc. Stantec Consulting Services Inc., T.Y. Lin International Engineering, Architecture & Land Surveying PC WSP USA Inc. All are headquartered outside New York but some have local offices. Each has a team of sub-consultants, some of which have offices in the Albany region. The DOT released the list in response to a Freedom of Information Law request by the Albany Business Review. State government leaders set aside $5 million in this year's budget to pay for a feasibility study to examine ways to reconfigure the multi-lane highway and bridges separating the state capital from the Hudson River. The study will focus on several areas, including potentially reducing the elevation of the South Mall Expressway to the street level; determining the needs of the CP Rail train tracks that run parallel to the highway; how to improve access to the river in Albany, Menands and Watervliet; and ideas such as a boulevard, tunnel and canal/waterways. The scoping and preliminary design services would start in March 2023 and take 18 months. The total duration of the contract would be three years. A supplemental agreement could include final design and construction support services. The RFQ includes an estimated construction cost breakdown of $667 million for "highway" and $333 million for "bridge," for a total of $1 billion, with the expectation funding would be provided by the state and federal governments. ______________________________________________________________________ https://www.bizjournals.com/albany/news/2022/04/11/787-downtown-albany-engineering-study-money.html The state Department of Transportation will spend up to $5 million on an engineering feasibility study to "reimagine" Interstate 787 in downtown Albany -- a major step forward for those who have long advocated making big changes to the multi-lane highway. The funding was included in the just-approved $220 billion state budget for 2022-23 as a "letter of commitment" from the transportation department to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, according to Assemblywoman Pat Fahy, D-Albany. "We're thrilled, as you can imagine," said Fahy, who has been working on the issue since she talked to a constituent about the future of the highway about 10 years ago. The highway carries tens of thousands of vehicles daily through and into the state capital -- its multiple lanes and spiderweb of ramps separating the city from the Hudson River. The only safe crossing is a pedestrian bridge and the soon-to-open Albany Skyway, another pedestrian bridge that was previously a little-used highway ramp. "For me the No. 1 goal is how do you reclaim, re-access the waterfront," Fahy said. "We have the money now to not just do this engineering study, but to lay out a vision." Fahy doesn't know yet the exact contours of the study but would like a comprehensive report examining various scenarios for altering the highway, a timeline, cost estimates and the potential economic and traffic impacts. "To say it's a complex undertaking would be an understatement," she said. A group called the Albany Riverfront Collaborative that formed last year offered its vision for the new 787 through downtown Albany -- a boulevard with three lighted intersections that connect with the existing street grid. The train tracks along the highway would remain but with new infrastructure making them safe to cross. The Collaborative was started by architect Scott Townsend and includes more than 30 members. The group created a website and produced a nearly 14-minute video explaining the history of the highway, the concept behind the boulevard, and the benefits the changes would bring. In response to the $5 million in state funding, the Collaborative posted the following in a video on Facebook: "One milestone down. Many more lie ahead. Many thanks to those supporting our cause. The ARC is now going to celebrate and rest! We'll be back soon." The push to reimagine 787 comes as other cities in New York and across the country make progress toward reclaiming land now consumed by highways. In Syracuse, for instance, demolition will start soon on an elevated portion of Interstate 81 called the Viaduct. Advocates say the timing is ripe to pursue alterations to 787 because of the billions of dollars in additional funding available to states from the federal government. ________________________ https://buffalonews.com/business/local/analysis-kathy-hochul-could-determine-the-fate-of-these-5-buffalo-projects/article_c575d714-fa00-11eb-8764-e706dae957af.html For more than 10 years, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo made economic development in Buffalo Niagara a priority unlike any of his post-war predecessors. But with Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Buffalo native, poised to succeed Cuomo in two weeks as the embattled governor resigns, it's not likely that Western New York - and much of upstate - will return to its old status as the troubled, yet often ignored, stepchild. "She's one of the biggest Western New York backers I know," said Dottie Gallagher, president of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. "That will only accrue to our benefit." 6 challenges Kathy Hochul will face immediately as governor 6 challenges Kathy Hochul will face immediately as governor Here are just a few matters that will take up her time and define her abilities to govern under fire in a geographically and politically diverse state that will still be reeling from the scandals that led to the resignation of Andrew M. Cuomo. It also helps that Hochul, as chair of the regional development council system that Cuomo put in place, oversaw the process that vetted many of the economic development initiatives that remain on the front burner. Others - and the biggest one here is the new stadium that the Buffalo Bills want taxpayers to fund - are outside that process, but Hochul will be the key player in the negotiations over the size of the taxpayer subsidy it receives. And some, like Cuomo's Buffalo Billion initiative, have been around long enough that the ventures they backed are already established, although the results have largely not lived up to the lofty hopes at high-profile ventures such as the Tesla solar panel factory and the IBM technology hub in Buffalo. A year ago today, in pictures: Chicago violence and more moments you may remember The state hasn't had a governor from upstate in a century. New York City is so big, it gives downstate politicians effective control of the State Legislature. Cuomo understood this, and he loved to explain the dynamics of New York's political divide to anyone from upstate who would listen. And, of course, Cuomo also loved to brag how he was the first governor in ages to make upstate a priority. "I hope we don't go back to the days when we didn't see state officials more than once or twice a year. I was here for that and it's no fun," said Thomas A. Kucharski, president of the Invest Buffalo Niagara economic development and marketing group. "That shouldn't be the case." Hochul still will have upstate's interests at heart. But as a caretaker governor filling out the rest of Cuomo's term without an electoral mandate of her own - will she have the political clout to wrest enough money out of the downstate-controlled Legislature to keep money flowing to the Buffalo Niagara region and upstate "The bigger question is whether the state will have enough money, but that's not a Kathy Hochul issue," Gallagher said. How successful Hochul is will go a long way toward determining the fate of these projects that Cuomo has been heavily involved in. Skyway demolition Tearing down the Skyway was one of Cuomo's pet projects. He pushed the state to sponsor a contest for ideas on how to turn the area into something better. But the Skyway plan was already on life support when Higgins, another longtime Skyway critic, pulled his backing from the initiative, while the region's state legislators also turned against it. If the Skyway demolition wasn't already dead, Cuomo's resignation is the coup de grace. __________ https://www.bizjournals.com/albany/news/2021/03/16/albany-skyway-construction.html 13 hours ago The $13 million Albany Skyway, an elevated park over Interstate 787 in downtown Albany, is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Work will start this month to convert a little-used highway ramp into a pedestrian and bicycle path that connects downtown with the Hudson River, according to a statement released Tuesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office. The Skyway will be located on what is now the northbound exit ramp of I-787, extending from Quay Street along the waterfront to Clinton Avenue near historic Quackenbush Square. The approximately half-mile Skyway will be wheelchair-accessible. It will be the second way people can safely cross the highway to reach Corning Riverfront Park. The Hudson River Way bridge off Broadway was built in 2002 at a cost of $8.5 million, though it isn't easily accessible to cyclists. The Albany Skyway will be located to the north of the Hudson River Way's location, closer to neighborhoods such as Arbor Hill, Sheridan Hollow, Clinton Square and the city's Warehouse District. ________________________________________________________________________ D264220, PIN 105182, FA Proj , Albany Co., Convert I-787 Ramp to a Multi Use Path (Albany Skyway) in the City of Albany, Bid (~ $750,000.00) , Goals: DBE: 7.00% Every bid must be accompanied by a bid bond, certified check or bank cashiers check payable to the NYS Department of Transportation, in the sum of the amount shown on the proposal title page. Bonds must be on form CONR 391. Electronic bids must include an electronic bid bond. The Contractor is responsible for ensuring that all Amendments are incorporated into its bid. To receive notification of Amendments via e-mail you must submit a request to be placed on the Planholders List at http://www.dot.ny.gov/doing-business/opportunities/const-planholder. Amendments may have been issued prior to your placement on the Planholders list. NYS Finance Law restricts communication with NYSDOT on procurements and contact can only be made with designated persons. Contact with non-designated persons or other involved Agencies will be considered a serious matter and may result in disqualification. Please call (518) 457-2124 if a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the Letting. As per the Owner all bids have been rejected. Editorial Content Team is actively seeking updated information. NYDOT - Convert I-787 Ramp to a Multi Use Path (Albany Skyway)