In 2017, President Trump issued an executive order entitled “Buy American and Hire American” which stated a commitment to do just that. Earlier this year, expanding on this policy, President Trump issued an executive order entitled “Strengthening Buy-American Preferences for Infrastructure Projects.” This order requires federal agencies to encourage contractors working on infrastructure projects that … Continue Reading
Although public-private partnerships (P3s) have become a leading method of delivering infrastructure in several countries throughout the world, including Canada, P3s are often met with skepticism in the United States. Even though there is an ever-growing list of P3 successes (including several multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects that were completed ahead of schedule and below budget, … Continue Reading
In the next few years, Miami-Dade County is expected to spend 1.5 billion dollars on upgrades to Miami International Airport. We recently wrote about Miami-Dade County’s SMART Plan, which will revitalize our transportation system and implement smart city technology. Now, through public-private partnerships, the County has the opportunity to bring this technology to Miami International … Continue Reading
Under current legislation, tax-exempt and other low cost financing solutions are not typically available for social infrastructure projects. The resulting higher cost of capital for social infrastructure projects raises viability concerns when the public sector procures projects with private sector-driven financings. As a result, historically, social infrastructure P3s have been outpaced by their surface transportation … Continue Reading
Last week, the Michigan State University Board of Trustees authorized the negotiation of a comprehensive public-private partnership (P3) agreement with the winning proposer for a planned expansion of the university’s health and research facilities at the Grand Rapids campus. The decision marks one of many recent success stories for higher-education P3s. We previously wrote about a … Continue Reading
We have previously discussed the State of Florida’s P3 law, which broadly authorizes private firms to submit unsolicited proposals to state and local agencies for a wide variety of public services and facilities. The concept behind an unsolicited proposal is simple enough. The private sector is constantly innovating. As a result, the government may not have … Continue Reading
Bilzin Sumberg’s 2018 South Florida Redevelopment Conference highlighted emerging development trends and the latest changes in the South Florida market. Panel discussions covered successful strategies and unique opportunities for redevelopment in South Florida, including real estate P3s, transit-oriented development, tax strategies for real estate developers, development within opportunity zones, and the many faces of adaptive … Continue Reading
On October 5th, Bilzin Sumberg hosted its first-ever South Florida Redevelopment Conference. The conference kicked off with “Cafecito with the Mayors,” where Bilzin Sumberg’s Managing Partner-Elect and leader of the Firm’s P3 Practice, Albert E. Dotson, Jr., spoke with Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez and City of Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez about development … Continue Reading
We have previously blogged about the many recent legislative developments in Florida and the Miami area, with a focus on legislation that is designed to facilitate public/private development projects (P3). Although an increasing number of P3 projects are now in various stages of development, the success of Florida’s legislative effort can also be seen in … Continue Reading
We have previously written about Miami-Dade County’s proposed SMART plan, a massive, six-corridor expansion of the existing heavy rail system, and the benefits of delivering all or portions of the project as a public-private partnership (P3). This month, the County Mayor released an updated multiyear transportation pro forma that identifies $8.457 billion in available funding … Continue Reading
We recently wrote about Miami-Dade County’s proposed resolution that would designate the areas within the County’s SMART Plan corridors as “Areas of Countywide Significance.” The Board of County Commissioners has since adopted that resolution, allowing the County to maintain regulatory jurisdiction and facilitate development within the SMART Plan corridors. Passage of that resolution has set … Continue Reading
Ride-sharing has become a primary mode of transportation in many cities and for many people and is possibly the most visible evidence of the ways that technology is transforming transportation. Now, the ride-sharing apps are taking it one step further in a move that will provide a boost to Miami Dade County’s SMART plan, which … Continue Reading
The Florida First District Court of Appeal recently decided Crapo v. Provident Group-Continuum Properties, LLC, which sets forth a rule that should result in more favorable property-tax treatment for P3s in Florida. In general, an economic disadvantage facing privately-owned projects, as compared to publicly owned projects, is the imposition of real estate taxes, which are … Continue Reading
Last week, the Rand Corporation, which just completed an analysis of the federal bid-protest system, announced that one thing the federal government has been doing particularly well is resolving bid protests quickly–the majority within 30 days. As we’ve explained in a prior post, a bid protest is a proceeding where a bidder for a government … Continue Reading
Yesterday, the City of Chicago selected two finalists in its procurement process for the planned O’Hare Express, a mass transit system that will connect downtown Chicago to O’Hare International Airport within 20 minutes–substantially faster than either existing mass transit service on the Blue Line or vehicular alternatives. The two finalists are Elon Musk’s firm, The … Continue Reading
A bid protest is a method for a bidder for a government contract to formally challenge the government’s selection process or decision. Bid-protest procedures vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but there is generally an opportunity to submit a written petition that explains why the protestor believes the government made an unfair or unlawful decision, following … Continue Reading
We previously wrote about Miami-Dade County’s proposed new P3 legislation, both when it was initially proposed, and prior to it being considered by the subcommittee of jurisdiction, the Government Operations Committee. Last week, the Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved the new ordinance, which will help the County implement a variety of planned and potential … Continue Reading
In April 2018, President Trump issued an Executive Order calling for stricter enforcement of the federal government’s “Buy American” laws. These laws have been on the books for several decades and generally require that the federal government purchase goods and materials manufactured in the United States, with some laws also applying to certain state and local government … Continue Reading
Legislators at both the state and local level have been busy introducing and considering new legislation that could impact the government procurement process and public/private partnerships. These new provisions will fundamentally affect the way business is done with any governmental entity, from basic discussions about potential P3 projects to the final negotiation of a contract … Continue Reading
As Miami-Dade County continues to take steps towards the launch of a proposed civil courthouse public-private partnership (P3), its representatives have stressed the need to bring the right deal to market, balancing the community’s goals of improved court capacity and accessibility with existing funding challenges. The final project could combine an availability model DBFOM with … Continue Reading
The third annual P3 Hub South conference, hosted by the P3 Bulletin and in partnership with Bilzin Sumberg, is returning to Miami October 16th – 17th. This year’s conference hosts both local and national leaders in the public-private partnership (P3) industry who will participate in interviews, panels, and informal networking discussions. P3 projects related to transit, water, and social programs are among some … Continue Reading
Miami-Dade County, the largest jurisdiction in South Florida, is currently evaluating public-private partnerships (P3s) for several major infrastructure projects. These include multi-billion-dollar upgrades to the County’s water and sewer infrastructure, new transportation infrastructure, and social infrastructure, including a new County courthouse. As we have discussed in previous posts, the P3 model can be used to … Continue Reading
Government agencies at all levels are increasingly turning to public-private partnerships (P3s) for the delivery of new public infrastructure. However, the discussion often focuses exclusively on transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and mass transit. This focus is understandable: throughout the country, government transportation agencies, such as the Florida Department of Transportation, have been on the cutting … Continue Reading
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao recently informed the U.S. Senate that the President’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan will be announced by the end of the month. The new plan is anticipated to rely upon public-private partnerships (P3s) to bridge the gap between the cost of needed infrastructure and available government dollars. The American Society of Civil Engineers … Continue Reading
