In a voice vote, the U.S. Senate has passed a new $484 billion COVID-19 relief bill. Of that amount, some $310 billion will go directly to the Paycheck Protection Program, with $60 billion slated for community banks and smaller lenders. The measure has been widely anticipated by the nation’s small business community, which has been hit hard since the spread of the coronavirus, and comes after several days of discussions between Senate leaders and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. The bill is now on its way to the U.S. House, where it is expected to be approved by a wide margin. President Trump has indicated that he will quickly sign the legislation once it is sent to him. The demand for new Payroll Protection Program funding came after the $349 billion approved last month for that fund was depleted in just four weeks after the passage of the original $2.2 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package. Reports indicate that the Small Business Administration was deluged with requests for funding through the Payroll Protection Program, which was geared to provide loans and grants to businesses with 500 employees or less. Besides quickly running out of money, the Payroll Protection Program was also criticized when it was learned that larger companies had succeeded in obtaining some of the funding. Mnuchin has now vowed that larger companies in the future will not be permitted to access those funds, while President Trump has called on those companies to return the funding they received. In a statement, Mnuchin said, “To the extent these companies didn’t understand this and they repay loans, that will be OK, and if not there will be potentially other consequences.” By Garry Boulard
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Members of the Mesa City Council have given their approval to the rezoning of just over 1,000 rural acres on the southeast side of the city, in a move certain to spur future development. In so doing, the City of Mesa is also annexing the land in question. What is known as Hawes Crossing is made up of dairy farms, the owners of which in recent years have indicated an interest in selling their properties to developers. But not until the vast acreage could be given a new zoning designation was it likely that any developer would want to purchase the land. Last fall the Mesa Planning and Zoning Board signaled the way for the Council by approving a new zoning designation for the land. The Council vote now opens the way in particular for mixed-use development, with just over 500 acres approved for residential construction; 204 acres designated as strictly mixed-use; 183 acres for commercial use; and 8 acres for office construction. Because Hawes Crossing is located near the Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport, any home development would first require the permission of the Federal Aviation Administration before permits can be issued. Developers particularly feel bullish regarding the potential of the Hawes Crossing diary land because of the area’s substantial population growth and its ongoing need for new housing. In just the last two decades, Mesa, located 18 miles southeast of Phoenix, has seen more than 110,000 people move into the area, for a current population of roughly 510,000, making it the third largest city in Arizona. By Garry Boulard Nearly a dozen public and university library infrastructure projects across New Mexico are expected to see work this year. Members of the New Mexico State Legislature earlier this year approved more than $2.6 million in capital outlay funding for library upgrading and improvement projects. Of that amount, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham approved projects with a combined funding value of just over $1 million. The largest outlay, at $400,000, is going for the replacement of an elevator in the Townsend Library on New Mexico State University’s Alamogordo campus. Exactly $300,000 has also been approved for improvements to a learning commons area inside the Zimmerman Library on the University of New Mexico’s main Albuquerque campus. The Governor approved $100,000 in funding for improvements to the community room of the Taylor Ranch Library in Albuquerque, while at the same time vetoing $50,000 for roof and HVAC work at that same facility. The Albuquerque/Bernalillo County’s South Valley Library has been approved for $80,000 for a new roof and HVAC system; while $70,000 has been secured for renovation work at the Juan Tabo Library in Albuquerque. The Carrizozo Community Public Library, Village of Corona Public Library, and Ruidoso Public Library, all in Lincoln County, have been approved for $10,000 each for technical and infrastructure work. Another $10,000 in funding was approved, also for technical and infrastructure work, at the Estancia Public Library in Torrance County. The Governor vetoed $1.5 million in additional funding for the construction of a new library in Albuquerque’s International District, along with $50,000 for roof work at the Jemez Public Library in Sandoval County. By Garry Boulard More architects, engineers, and contractors, among others in the building industry, should use and take advantage of Building Information Modeling, says a new report. That technology, which is a 3-D process using real-time sensor data, can lead to the construction of more sustainable buildings with input on everything from “energy consumption, through space planning and usage, to building envelope wear and tear.” The report, 2020 Challenges of the Built Environment, a joint production of the Plymouth, Michigan-based Arbnco building technology company, and the U.S. Green Building Council, also looks at how sustainability can be maintained even once a building is completed. Building managers, the report contends, can better advance energy programs by having access to the data used to construct their building, allowing them to make adjustments “that fit their occupants and building’s needs.” Ultimately, to achieve building sustainability, says the report, there needs to be more active partnerships involving “architects, construction entities, facility mangers, energy providers, and the data sensing and application partner.” The sustainability challenge is all the greater, says the report, in existing structures, noting: “There is little that can be done to change the materials used in the construction process, materials which in themselves are not readily conducive to improving the sustainability of the asset nor to enhancing the wellbeing of its occupants.” New structures, however, offer the greatest sustainable opportunities, but only if the interested parties are willing to implement such new technology as Building Information Modeling, which now incidentally allows for testing “numerous scenarios at the architectural design stage.” By Garry Boulard Up to 40 new housing units, all geared for the affordable market segment, have been approved for construction in Lyons, Colorado. Most of the units will go up on currently vacant land south of McConnell Drive just as that roadway crosses the St. Vrain River. Another group of units will be built on similarly vacant property, also in what is known as the Valley Park subdivision, just off nearby Carter Drive. The project, which is eligible for Community Development Block Grant funding, will also see the creation of bike parking space for each home, electric vehicle charging stations, and enclosed storage units. Rents for the new homes are expected to fall in the roughly $1,500 per month category for a two-bedroom house or town home; and just under $1,700 per month for a three-bedroom unit. Those rent figures stand in contrast to the roughly $600,000 average price of a home today in Lyons. The project, which has been the subject of several public input meetings leading to its approval by the Town of Lyons Board of Trustees, is designed to replace housing lost in a devastating Fall 2013 flood. That flood, after several days of heavy rainfall, led to the destruction of several older homes in the town, as well as a mobile home park. By Garry Boulard Although the Arizona State House of Representatives earlier this year approved legislation providing up to $15 million in funding for the construction of a new Tonto Basin bridge, that funding was taken away due to the state’s COVID-19 fiscal challenges. Now, Representative Sylvia Allen said she is determined to find a way for the structure to be funded out of Washington. “I will continue to see what I can do for funding this bridge,” Allen told the Arizona Capital Times. “I’m just heartsick because it was in the budget.” Allen and several other lawmakers proposed the funding after the death late last year of three children who drowned when the vehicle they were riding in was swept away by the Tonto Creek’s floodwaters. Since 1995 nearly ten people have drowned trying to cross the creek in the Tonto Basin, a rural community of around 1,400 people located some 70 miles northeast of Phoenix. Design work by Gila County on what is expected to be a 2,000 foot-long bridge has already been completed, with at least $3 million set aside by the county for the fund. The measure sponsored by Allen would have authorized $15 million to come out of the Arizona Department of Transportation’s general fund. State officials are now considering the possibility of applying to the federal Department of Transportation for funding for the bridge project. By Garry Boulard Congress is expected to take up legislation this week addressing new COVID-19 relief spending. Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy and New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez are crafting a bill that would not only include $500 billion in expenditures, but would also give the states more leeway in how they want to apply those funds. The legislation comes after the National Governors Association issued a statement noting that without the relief, “States will be confronted with the prospect of cuts to essential services. This will make it much harder to have a strong economic recovery, which is a top priority for the President and for all of the governors. Both NGA chairman Larry Hogan, who is the governor of Maryland, and NGA vice chairman Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, say the $500 billion is especially needed now by the states due to a loss of corporate, gasoline, personal, and sales tax revenue. Legislation as proposed by Cassidy and Menendez is expected to apportion federal spending to the states based on their percentage of the national population, while also providing funds based upon infection rates within the individual states. As the new phase four of the relief legislation is being considered, the NGA has also asked the Treasury Department to free up rules on how the $150 billion approved by Congress last month under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act can be used in the states. By Garry Boulard A new proposal to renovate one of El Paso’s most popular entertainment venues has been aired by a member of the El Paso City Council. The Abraham Chavez Theater, located at 1 Civic Center Plaza, has long been in need of upgrading. The facility, opened in 1973 and known for its unusual sombrero-shaped size, has continued to host usually packed events right up to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. With a 5,000 square-foot circular lobby and three levels of seating, the theater is regarded as one of the few examples of early 1970s Brutalist architecture in El Paso. A study commissioned by the Council some two years ago estimated that it would cost around $35 million to bring the Chavez up to date. Although no work has since taken place at the theater, El Paso City Representative Alexandra Anello recently suggested that city should take a second look at the proposal. Within the context of those remarks, Anello also argued that an ongoing bid to build the Multipurpose Performing Arts and Entertainment Center in downtown El Paso should finally be abandoned. That $180 million project has been the subject of endless litigation sparked by opponents angry that the arena’s construction will first require the demolition of the historic Duranguito neighborhood. While earlier this year the Texas State Supreme Court denied a petition of review in the litigation, a firm schedule for building the new arena has not been announced. Those opponents, including Texas oilman and preservationist J.P. Bryan, have said that the funding for the arena would be better spent renovating the Chavez Theater, as well as several other public structures in the city. In response, City Representative Peter Svarzbein said he questioned “whether or not having a discussion about shifting funds for this project to another project,” wasn’t just a new form of attacking the arena proposal. No action has so far been taken by the Council on the Chavez Theater proposal. By Garry Boulard A Denver-based bank with nearly forty branches across the state has announced plans to build a nearly 100,000 square foot headquarters building in Colorado’s largest city. Vectra Bank, which also has a branch office in Farmington, New Mexico, says it wants to build the new structure on a currently unoccupied site at the southwest corner of S. Quebec Street and Layton Avenue in Denver. That less than an acre site is located in an area of new multi-story office development around 10 miles to the southeast of downtown Denver. Vectra will be purchasing the land from the Front Range Land and Development Company of Glendale. As designed by the Denver-based Open Studio Architecture, the new nine-story building will include around 5,000 square feet of banking space for Vectra on the ground floor, along with an additional 5,400 square feet of retail space. Parking space for 365 vehicles will be provided on the building’s second to fifth floors. Vectra’s headquarters has been located at 2000 S. Colorado Boulevard in the Colorado Station since about 2005. A construction schedule for the project has not yet been announced. By Garry Boulard Funding for a wide variety of capital expenditures at airports across the country is being made available through a new federal grant initiative. The Department of Transportation has announced the availability of up to $10 billion in funding for the airports, which is coming through the recently-passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities Act. The Airport Grant Program, as part of the CARES Act, is available to fund airport capital expenditures, as well as debt payments, utilities, and payroll costs. “The CARES Act provides funds distributed by various formulas for all airports that are part of the national airport system,” a press release from the Department of Transportation reads. The statement continues: “This includes all commercial service airports, all reliever airports, and some public-owned general aviation airports.” DOT officials are urging that airports interested in obtaining such funds should work with their local Federal Aviation Administration Office of Airports field office on the application and grant-agreement process. “It supports the workforce as well as planned safety and construction work,” Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett said in a statement, responding to the announcement of $157,000 in CARES Act funding for the San Marcos Regional Airport. According to Federal Aviation Administration documents, the Denver International Airport is in line for up to $269 million in such funding; the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is slated for $147.8 million in funding; while the Albuquerque International Sunport is getting $19.6 million. Altogether, some 59 airports in Arizona will be receiving the CARES Act funding, followed by 50 airports in New Mexico, and 49 in Colorado. By Garry Boulard |
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