![]() Up to a dozen states have now invested funds to build wildlife migration corridors to decrease the incidence of cars and trucks colliding with moose, deer, and elk, among other animals. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, anywhere from 1 to 2 million motorists collide with wildlife every year causing up to 200 human deaths. The federal Department of Transportation, meanwhile, has estimated that at least 1 million animals die as a result of those same collisions. Most states tackling the issue are in the West, with lawmakers in Colorado this year giving their approval to the allocation of some $5 million for the building of wildlife crossings. Earlier this year, New Mexico completed a wildlife corridor action plan, with legislators allocating $2 million. A New Mexico lawmaker, Senator Mimi Stewart, has told the Albuquerque Journal that she’d like to secure up to $50 million in the upcoming 2023 legislative session to begin the actual construction of those crossings. Lawmakers in Wyoming have similarly set aside in excess of $10 million to build wildlife crossings, with Governor Mark Gordon putting his signature on an executive order establishing a process for the designation of such corridors. The larger effort is additionally being spurred by up to $350 million via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to build new wildlife crossings. Notes Governing magazine: “Now it’s up to agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration to efficiently implement these programs so that tribes, states, and other stakeholders can apply for these critical grants.” It is expected that at least $60 million will be made available between now and next year through the FHA program. Local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, and regional transportation authorities may also be eligible for grant funding under the program. Costs to build the corridors range widely, with underpasses usually tunneled in an area of hills, and 8-foot-tall fences on both sides of the corridor running a length of three miles to steer the wildlife into the crossings. By Garry Boulard
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![]() Plans are now underway for the construction of a new complex with 114 residential units in the Old Town section of Fort Collins. The project jointly belongs to the Colmena Group, which is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the Fort Collins-based Tribe Development. As anticipated, the 7-story project, to be built in the 200 block of Cherry Street next to the city’s historic trolly barn, will go up in an area populated with newer multi-floor apartment complexes. A conceptual plan for the project has now been filed with the City of Fort Collins’ planning department. The Colmena Group is both a real estate development and investment company that has developed more than 11,000 apartment units since its founding in 2008. Tribe Development bills itself as a comprehensive real estate and consulting firm, with projects throughout Colorado. Rents in Fort Collins have been significantly on the upside in recent months. According to a site maintained by the Norada Real Estates Investments company, the city has seen a 22% increase in rents since 2020, with the average one-bedroom going for $1,340. By Garry Boulard ![]() The property and site of one of the most popular nurseries in New Mexico is being listed for sale for $15 million. Headquartered at 715 Saint Michaels Drive, the Payne’s Nursery and Greenhouses has been an industry mainstay since 1952, providing customers with a wide variety of plants, bushes, and trees. The listing includes three properties: Payne’s North, at 304 Camino Alire, which features a main building, greenhouse, and annex, among other structures; and Payne’s South, at 715 St. Michaels Drive in mid-town Santa Fe, with a large retail store, storage room, and three greenhouses. The third property is officially called Payne’s Organic Soil Yard, on the south side of Santa Fe at 1620 Agua Fria, a site that includes a main building, storage facility, and well. The total land area for the three properties comes in at just under 9.2 acres, and is being listed for sale by the owner, Lynn Payne. By Garry Boulard ![]() A combination of concerns about an upcoming recession, along with ongoing supply chain issues, has pushed back housing projects across the country, according to a new survey. The National Multifamily Housing Council is reporting that upwards of 90% of multifamily developers and owners say they have experienced project delays heading into this fall, with the number one reason for those delays being the economic feasibility of the project. Equally strong numbers were seen in the 78% of respondents who said they have experienced delays in permitting. Around 41% of respondents said the project delays have been due to “economic uncertainty,” while another 53% pointed to “materials sourcing and delivery” as a major impediment. In a narrative that has challenged home builders at least since the Covid 19 outbreak, 76% of respondents reported price increases with their individual projects. Those price increases varied, depending upon the material: respondents said electrical components were up by around 10%, with exterior roofing and finishes seeing a 6% jump. Appliances and insulation costs were up by 5%. In a statement, Doug Bibby, president of the National Multifamily Housing Council, remarked: “The nation is facing extraordinary housing affordability in the wake of the pandemic.” Bibby added that “lawmakers at all levels of government should look at every policy option available to them to reform antiquated zoning, streamline the development process and incentivize the building of new housing of all types and at all prices points.” By Garry Boulard ![]() Plans are proceeding, despite some resistance, for the construction of an amphitheater in Colorado Springs that could, upon completion, seat up to 8,000 people. The company Notes Live, which is also based in Colorado Springs and specializes in entertainment and hospitality offerings, wants to build the Sunset Amphitheater on the north side of the city. The project will go up not far from the entertainment venue Boot Barn Hall at Bourbon Brothers, which is also owned by Notes Live, and is expected to cost around $40 million to build. According to the company’s website, the Sunset Amphitheater will be “the most luxurious and hospitality-focused music venue in the country,” situated so as to offer views of the sun setting over Pikes Peak. To be built on a nearly 7-acre currently undeveloped site, the stadium will offer concerts and others shows throughout the year and will include parking space for up to 800 vehicles. Although at first blush those spaces would appear to be not numerous enough to accommodate all of the anticipated concertgoers, it is thought that a large percentage of those fans will get to the site through the use of ride share apps. According to city documents, additional amenities will include fire pit suites and both restaurant and bar space. Inspiration behind the project is businessman J.W. Roth, the former owner of Roth Premium Foods. Area residents have raised objections to the project, citing concerns about noise and traffic. Those concerns have been discussed in at least one public input meeting, with Live Notes saying that the project is currently being reviewed by traffic and parking experts. The input of those experts is expected to be reflected in an updated application to the city for the project. If all goes well, it is expected that work will begin on the amphitheater later this year or early next year, with a possible completion date of summer 2023. By Garry Boulard ![]() Relying on the kindness of voters, a growing city situated at the border of New Mexico and Texas may soon see the construction of a new regional recreation center. Sunland Park, which also lines the border with the Mexican state of Chihuahua, is seeking funding not only for the center project, but also an effort to upgrade its existing Sunland Park Community Library, located at 1000 McNutt Road. That funding will come out of a proposed $12 million general obligation bond to be decided by voters in the coming November election and may also be used to build a second library for a city whose population has jumped from just over 8,000 in the 1990s to more than 17,000 today. As proposed, the bond, broken down in three $4 million sections, will also be used to upgrade the city’s existing park facilities. A separate bond question, also with a dollar value of $4 million, may be used for the construction of a proposed new public safety complex; while the final $4 million allotment will go for roadway construction and upgrading, as well as wastewater infrastructure. By Garry Boulard ![]() Despite challenges from a weakening economy, and the lingering lifestyle impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, new hotel construction projects as well as renovations are very much on the upside. That’s according to a new report issued by industry number-cruncher Lodging Econometrics, showing that nearing mid-summer there were up to 430 new hotel construction projects underway nationally, representing a total of just over 47,000 rooms. That number is significantly up from the same point in time in 2021, when new hotel projects stood at 202, for a total of 25,600 rooms. The Lodging Econometrics survey also shows a decided increase in hotel projects that are in the planning stage, up significantly with 2,246 projects representing just under 258,200 rooms, compared to around 1,700 by mid-summer in 2021. Hilton Worldwide leads the global construction pipeline with just under 2,600 projects and nearly 380,000 rooms; followed by Marriott International at 2,533 projects and around 421,6700 rooms. Next up is IHG Hotels & Resorts, with 1,687 projects and just over 247,300 rooms. The Lodging Econometrics report dovetails another industry survey, this one conducted by the CoStar Group, a commercial real estate analytics company, revealing particularly strong construction pipeline activity is what are described as “smaller hotel markets.” This report, done with data benchmarking company STR, shows strong development numbers in such Western cities as Phoenix and Salt Lake City. At the same time, the South is turning in a particularly robust performance, with large projects noted in Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee. According to a CoStar press release, this “activity in the South shows that developers want to take advantage of the rapid performance recovery during 2021 in the Sun Belt, which will likely fuel further development.” By Garry Boulard ![]() The site of a former Motorola manufacturing facility in Phoenix has been purchased by a Chicago-based developer with plans of building a new industrial park. The Baker Development Company purchased some 44 acres located at the southwest corner of 52nd Street and McDowell Road for $21 million. Last year Baker bought an initial 28 acres at the site for $10.2 million. Baker wants to build four new industrial structures making up some 1.2 million square feet at the site for a project that the company is calling Park 52. Plans are calling for structures ranging in size between 122,000 square feet and 225,600 square feet. Work is expected to begin soon, with a likely completion date of spring 2023. The one-time Motorola site was listed by the Environmental Protection Agency as a Superfund site, due to a release of chemicals from an underground storage tank and has undergone a protracted and complex clean-up process in recent years. The main Phoenix Motorola plant was opened in early 1956 and remained in operation at the site until selling its facilities in 1999. An earlier Motorola research unit was operational in the city in the late 1940s. Motorola initially made a name for itself manufacturing car radios. Its radio equipment was later used on NASA space flights, including the initial 1969 moon landing. By Garry Boulard ![]() Work could begin soon on the building of a new and much-anticipated terminal at the Taos Regional Airport. Members of the Airport Advisory Board have now given their approval to a plan that will see the construction of a nearly 8,000 square-foot, one-story facility that will also include both café and conference space. The project will be mostly funded through a Community Development Block Grant of $5.4 million earlier awarded by the State of New Mexico. Additional funding will come directly from the Town of Taos. Plans for the new terminal have been discussed for the last several months, with one proposal calling for a significantly larger facility at two-stories and 10,000 square feet. Officials have recently embraced an array of new work at the airport, which in May received a total of $3 million for a commercial aircraft parking apron project from the New Mexico Department of Transportation. A public use airport, the Taos Regional Airport, opened in the fall of 1966, is located around 8 miles to the northwest of downtown Taos. By Garry Boulard ![]() Economic concerns continue to trouble Americans as the country enters the final quarter of 2022, according to a new poll just released by Monmouth University. The survey by the West Long Branch, New Jersey-based Monmouth shows that 82% of respondents in the poll completed on September 25 regard inflation as “extremely or very important,” followed by 68% who pointed to jobs and unemployment as a priority concern. The survey was based on more than 800 interviews comprising what Monmouth calls a “probability-based national random sample.” Some 57% placed the issue of infrastructure as a top concern, while only 32% similarly regarded Covid 19, only the most recent sign of the pandemic’s declining public opinion importance nationally. On year ago, 72% of respondents to a Monmouth poll classified the pandemic as either extremely important or very important. Asked how important it was for the federal government to address jobs and unemployment issues, a combined 68% said it was either extremely or very important. That result was down from one year ago when 77% similarly responded. On transportation and energy infrastructure issues, a combined 57% said it was either extremely or very important, down from 65% who said the same thing just weeks before the passage of the big Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The survey also indicated that respondents are for the most part apprehensive, with 74% saying they thought the country was moving in the wrong direction. But those numbers represent an improvement over the 88% who similarly responded in June. By Garry Boulard |
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