Upcoming work throughout the geographically diverse Canutillo Independent School District, which takes in a portion of El Paso, is expected to see the building of new schools as well as the renovation of a number of existing facilities. What is slated to be a wide variety of projects will be fueled by the early May passage of a $387 million bond, which was approved by district voters by the close margin of 51% to 49%. Among some of the most notable projects will be upgrades to the Canutillo High School, which is located at 6675 S. Desert Boulevard and will see just over $16.5 million targeting heating cooling system upgrades, and safety and security campus improvements. The existing Canutillo Middle School at 7311 Bosque Road, will be replaced with a new $107 million facility, to go up at a site in the district’s Upper Valley; while the Jose Alderete Middle School, currently located at 801 Talbot Avenue, will be built in a new location in the subdivision of Enchanted Hill, also at a cost of $107 million. The Deanna Davenport Elementary School at 8401 Remington Drive will also be moved to the fast-growing Enchanted Hills subdivision with construction of a new $74 million facility. Heating and cooling system upgrades, as well as safety and security upgrades ranging from $2.2 million to $16.5 million, are slated for Canutillo Elementary School, Childress Elementary School, Damian Elementary School, Gonzalo & Sofia Garcia Elementary School, and Reyes Elementary School. Launched in the spring of 1959, the Canutillo Independent School District encompasses around 70 square miles that takes in, besides El Paso, the town of Canutillo and the villages of Vinton, Prado Verde, and Westway. By Garry Boulard
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A big plan for a big city has been announced with Denver preparing to substantially invest in new business development in its downtown sector. Mayor Mike Johnston has said that upwards of $500 million may ultimately be spent in the effort to “restore downtown vibrancy and stimulate economic growth.” The plan, holistic in nature, will see the City over the course of the next decade investing in new housing construction and attractive public spaces, while also trying to encourage businesses to set up shop in the area. The housing aspect of the Mayor’s plan could also include a proposal that in recent months has gained currency in the Mile High City: reconverting into residential space commercial and office structures that have been largely vacant in the past few years. Funding for the ambitious plan will largely come from the City’s Downtown Development Authority, which is tasked with economic development in the core of the city. That Authority uses revenue generated by incremental taxes to fund transportation projects at the city’s historic Union Station. But the Mayor said he hopes to expand the scope of the group’s mission, an effort that will ultimately require the approval of the Denver City Council. Earlier this year, Johnston announced that one of his goals for 2024 was to focus on downtown revitalization, remarking in a public address: “I think cities across America are facing a shared crisis as offices and downtowns have struggled to recover post-pandemic.” Proposing a question “Will our downtowns ever recover again?” Johnston answered his own question by remarking: “We cannot have a thriving Denver without a thriving downtown. We cannot have a thriving Colorado without a thriving Denver.” City officials have also wondered if Denver’s population loss of around 1,000 in the last three years has negatively impacted business in the downtown area. If so, that decline looks almost anemic compared to a decline of 8,000 people in Chicago and 6,000 in St. Louis during that same period of time. By Garry Boulard Photo Image: Courtesy of Pixabay As a sign of increasing trade tensions between the U.S. and China, President Biden has announced tariff increases on a range of imports from that country, but most particularly electric vehicle batteries and computer chips. “We’re not going to let China flood our market,” Biden said in announcing the new tariff policy, remarking that trade with that country “hasn’t been fair.” The President’s new policy means that tariffs on electric vehicle batteries will be quadrupled to more than 100%, while semiconductor chips will see a tariff doubling of some 50%. A statement from the White House declared that “for too long, China’s government has used unfair, non-market practices. China’s forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft have contributed to its control of 70, 80, and 90% of global production for the critical inputs necessary for our technologies, infrastructure, energy, and health care.” A tariff rate increase on some steel and aluminum products, going from around 7% to 25%, has also been announced, as well as a 50% tariff on such medical products as needles and syringes, up from 0%. Biden followed up on his tariff announcement by focusing on Chinese electric vehicles manufactured in Mexico. “I will put a 200% tax on every car that comes from those plants,” he declared. The increased tariff announcement has generated a variety of responses, with trade policy expert William Reinsch, writing for the Center for Strategic & International Studies, noting that the new tariffs are “designed to prevent the United States from being swamped with imports that are the product of Chinese overcapacity.” Notes the National Law Review: “Businesses whose supply chains include goods made in China should assess the implications for their operations and consider strategic adjustments to their supply chains and trade practices.” Colorado Democrat Governor Jared Polis decried the move, saying it was “horrible news for American consumers and a major setback for clean energy.” Polis added that “tariffs are a direct, regressive tax on Americans and this tax increase will hit every family.” Concerns that the Chinese government may retaliate in response to the President’s announcement were seen in remarks made by Wang Wenbin, China’s Commerce Minister, who said his country would “take all necessary actions to protect its legitimate rights.” In published comments, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi additionally characterized tariffs in general as the “most typical form of bullying in the world today,” before adding that the new policy “shows that some people in the U.S. have reached the point of losing their minds in order to maintain their unipolar hegemony.” By Garry Boulard Image Credit: Courtesy of the White House Planning remains underway for a project that will see the building of a railroad overpass connecting the cities of Texico, New Mexico and Farwell, Texas. The project, which has been talked about for months with different routes suggested and studied, is being done in a partnership between the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the Texas Department of Transportation. From previous studies and public input, the bridge will most likely be built in the town of Texico, on the New Mexico side of the border. Upon completion the bridge will lead to the elimination of three existing at-grade surface crossing. It will also, according to a news release issued by the New Mexico Transportation Department, span an existing Burlington Northern Santa Fe line, allowing the “traveling public to experience continued traffic flow without train delays.” Transportation officials in both states have said that construction of the new bridge will allow vehicles to enjoy an uninterrupted traffic flow unencumbered by train delays. That flow means fewer potential train and vehicle crashes and a reduction of congestion on streets in both Texico and Farwell. Drainage areas connected to the bridge are being studied but are not expected to be a part of an official design plan until the bridge’s route is determined. As currently discussed, what is officially called the Farwell-Texico Bridge Project will go up just to the west of S. Curry Road in Texico. Public comments on the project are expected to be received by the Texas Transportation Department until May 24. By Garry Boulard Image Credit: Courtesy of Pixabay A proposed nearly $14 billion fiscal year 2025 budget for the federal Department of Labor is crucial to “growing a worker-centered economy from the bottom up and the middle out by creating pathways to good jobs.” So remarked Julie Sun, the acting Secretary of Labor, in testimony promoting President Biden’s recommendations for the agency, which are up from the $11 billion allotted to the agency in fiscal year 2021. Su said that the Labor Department is continuing to push for “expanding equitable opportunities, while empowering and protecting workers and their families.” Speaking before the Senate Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services and Education Committee on Appropriations, Su said that the fiscal year budget will include new job training efforts via the $8 billion Career Training Fund, and a new $50 million investment in what is called the Career Training for Occupational Readiness program. Both of those initiatives, said Su, “will support the development and expansion of public-private partnerships between employers, education, and training providers, as well as community-based groups to deliver job training on growing industries.” Su also noted that the new budget invests up to $335 million for “apprenticeship programs, increasing access for underrepresented groups, including women of color, and individuals with a disability, and diversifying the industry sectors involved.” “The Department continues making progress on the President’s goal to serve at least one million apprentices annually within ten years, advancing racial and gender equity, and supporting historically underserved and marginalized communities,” remarked Su. The new budget additionally includes an increase of just over $23 million from the last fiscal year for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. That funding, said Su, helps that department to maintain its enforcement presence. Su noted that funding for OSHA supports “improving workplace safety and health across the country.” Additionally, she remarked “the agency will continue to carry out critical enforcement and whistleblower programs, standard-setting activities, and compliance assistance programs.” Su has been serving as acting Labor Department Secretary since early 2023, after the resignation of then-Secretary Marty Walsh. Su’s confirmation has stalled in the Senate, prompting some lawmakers to call for her resignation. Earlier this month, California Republican Congressman Kevin Riley said a new secretary should be nominated “who can go through the process and be confirmed by the Senate.” By Garry Boulard Image credit: Courtesy of Department of Labor Plans are again underway for the construction of an affordable housing project in Fort Collins that could see the building of up to 140 condo units. The project belongs to the company Hartford Homes, which is based in Timnath, Colorado, and will go up just to the north of the big Odell Brewing Company site, located at 800 E. Lincoln Avenue. What is being called The Tapestry will be built on some 12 acres donated by the brewing company’s founders, about a mile to the east of downtown Fort Collins, and featuring a variety of bedroom options. When the project was initially proposed, it was announced that it would see the creation of a neighborhood with “thoughtful landscaping, native plants, local art sculptures, and open green space.” A portion of the project will be built by the national nonprofit Habitat for Humanity and geared for residents making anywhere between 80% to 120% of Area Median Income. The project was initially delayed due to zoning issues and objections raised by neighbors regarding traffic issues. Now, according to published reports, it is thought that it may take up to 12 months for the project to secure city approval, with actual construction beginning sometime in the fall of 2025. By Garry Boulard A big project seeing the development of both new residential and commercial space in Los Ranchos has been hit with a legal challenge. The officially named Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and the company Palindrome Communities inked a development agreement four years ago for a 12-acre site located at the intersection of 4th Street and Osuna Road NW. What is being called the Village Center Project had been in the planning stage for well over a decade, with village leaders trying to find a new combined residential house, commercial, and retail use for a mostly undeveloped site. In 2018, the Portland, Oregon-based Palindrome Communities submitted a successful response to a Request for Proposals issued by the Village, and in the process proposed such amenities as a center for business development, micro-retail space, and a community garden for the site. Central to the project: the building of 204 affordable housing units. Demolition of existing structures on the site began in 2022, with construction work on the roughly $50 million project beginning shortly thereafter. But now New Mexico District Court Judge Denise Barela Shepard has issued a ruling that the Village of Los Ranchos violated the state’s Open Meetings Act requiring public meetings on any development project entered into by a government entity. The project has been controversial from the start. Opponents appeared at its November 2022 groundbreaking bearing signs that read: “Not Approved By Residents” and “Los Ranchos Trustees Illegally Nix Ordinances,” among other messages. The ruling comes nearly a year after a group called the Friends of Los Ranchos raised the question of the process for the project contravening the Open Meetings Act rules. In an interview with the Albuquerque Journal, Matthew Beck, an attorney representing the group, said the ruling “makes clear that attempting to delegate away behind closed doors what would otherwise have to happen out in the open violates the Open Meetings Act.” It has been suggested that one way forward for the project may see the Village going back to secure the approval of the site development plans as presented by Palindrome, only in accordance with the Opening Meetings Act regulations. By Garry Boulard A new bi-partisan caucus has been formed in Congress designed to specifically address the needs and concerns of the nation’s massive real estate industry. The mission of the new caucus, said California Democrat Representative J. Luis Correa, is to encourage members of both parties to “deliver real estate policy that will benefit soon-to-be homeowners across the country and help many families get one step closer to fulfilling their own American Dream.” Real estate industry groups and leaders have long complained that Congress passes laws affecting the industry with little input from individual realtors. The concerns of the industry have become more acute in the past several years as lawmakers have increasingly approved new affordable housing initiatives. Noting that the nation is “facing a housing affordability crisis,” the National Association of Realtors has applauded formation of the caucus contending that it will “advance our efforts to increase the housing supply and help individuals from all backgrounds find a path to homeownership.” The Bipartisan Congressional Real Estate Caucus will be composed of two Democrats and two Republicans and will not only study housing affordability issues, but also the challenges of high-cost building materials, work force availability, and regulatory challenges. Among the industry groups supporting formation of the new caucus is the National Apartment Association which, in a statement, said it hoped the effort will help ensure that the nation has a “robust supply of rental housing at all price points for generations to come.” By Garry Boulard Image Credit: Courtesy of Unsplash Nearly $33 million in federal funding is on its way to Colorado to underwrite a series of lead pipe replacement projects. The funding, as announced by the Environmental Protection Agency, will see the removal of existing lead pipes and copper pipe replacements in neighborhoods throughout the Centennial State. The new funding, said Colorado Senator Michael Bennet in a statement, is an “important step forward to help communities across Colorado replace harmful lead pipes without placing additional financial burdens on homeowners and small businesses.” Earlier documentation has shown that there are just under 110,000 lead service lines in Colorado, with the vast majority located in the metro Denver area. While the funding is regarded by state and local officials as a step in the right direction, earlier reports have indicated that it may ultimately cost as much as $12 billion to completely remove all of the existing operative lead pipes in Colorado. In 2020, the City of Denver launched a 15-year program to remove lead pipes feeding into households in the city, a program that some forecasts have said could cost as much as $700 million to complete. Last year the City of Grand Junction similarly launched its own lead pipe abatement effort, initially identifying nearly 100 lead service lines on public property and another nearly 50 on private property. A study released in 2021 indicated that some 72% of children under the age of six in Colorado were found to have some lead in their blood, a figure alarming to state health officials, given that the national rate is around 51%. In a column written for the Colorado Sun, KC Becker, regional administrator for the EPA in Colorado, noted that as lead has been removed from gasoline and paint products in recent years, it shouldn’t exist in “the water we use to make macaroni and cheese, soup, and hot chocolate.” Funding for the EPA lead pipe effort in Colorado is specifically coming through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. By Garry Boulard Image Credit: Courtesy of Pixabay A sizable project that will see the building of both new residential and retail space on the west side of Albuquerque has cleared a final important hurdle. As proposed by the Albuquerque-based company Tierra West LLC, the development will go up on a currently vacant ten-acre site near the intersection of Seven Bar Loop Road and Coors Boulevard and will include a dozen two-story townhomes as well as restaurant and office space. The project, which has been in the planning and talking stage for more than a year, previously received the approval of the city's Environmental Planning Commission. But that approval was subsequently challenged by a group called the Bosque del Acres Neighborhood Association. The association contended that an amended site plan for the project indicated a development that was too large and dense for the site. Complaints were also aired that one of the retail spaces in the proposed project would be given over to a cannabis retailer. A city Planning Department memo later asserted that the size of the project was within the accepted legal proportions for the site, while a "cannabis retail use is a permissive land use" in the zoned district. Launched in 1986, Tierra West specializes in land use planning, civil engineering, and development management. Its projects run the gamut from small infill development work to the design of large community subdivisions. By Garry Boulard Image Credit: Courtesy of Pixabay |
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