![]() A proposal has now been made official for the construction of three wildlife crossings that will be built in parts of northern Arizona. While such projects are usually built underneath bridges, the Arizona projects will all be built over local highways. Two of the projects are slated to cross the north to south Interstate 17 in the vicinity of Flagstaff. Those two projects, more specifically, will go up just to the north of the Willard Springs Exit, with the second to the south of the town of Kachina Village, nine miles to the south of downtown Flagstaff. The third project is slated for Interstate 40, which cuts through northern Arizona from east to west, just to the west of the town of Parks. As proposed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the three projects will take up some 18 acres of forest land needed for the ramps to the bridges to be built, as well as fencing. A public comment period on the proposed bridges is being conducted by the U.S. Forest Service and scheduled to be operational until August 29. Depending upon the scope of the individual project, the construction of a new animal crossings, according to industry sources, can cost anywhere from $300,000 to more than $1 million. By Garry Boulard
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![]() A decision could be handed down later this spring by the U.S. Supreme Court in a case that may provide parameters to how much a county can charge when it comes to impact fees. Nearly eight years ago a man named George Sheetz purchased 10 acres in El Dorado County in northwestern California as the site to place an 1,800-square-foot manufactured home. After Sheetz cleared much of the site and made other necessary property arrangements, he was told by county officials that it would cost nearly $23,500 in what was then called a "traffic mitigation fee" to move the home to his site. Sheetz paid the fee, but under protest, beginning a process that would see him file a suit against El Dorado County, only to lose in both local trial court as well as the California Court of Appeal. After the California Supreme Court declined to review the case, Sheetz and his attorneys decided to try one more time: taking the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court, which to the surprise of some law experts, agreed last year to hear the case. Pivotal is the question of how large a fee can any county reasonably charge an individual when it comes to the building or development of a given project. The case has won the attention of the National Association of Home Builders as well as the California Building Industry Association, which have together filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to review and decide on the matter. Because the El Dorado County is empowered by the California State Legislature, legal experts say the case will fundamentally address the question of the Fifth Amendment's taking clause, which governs private property protection issues. In their joint brief, the NAHB and California Building Industry Association have suggested that what is officially called Sheetz v. Eldorado County will provide the higher court with an opportunity to close any loophole in the "prohibition against governmental demands for unconstitutional conditions." Offering its own take on the case at hand, the Wall Street Journal has asked: "The question is simple: Can governments use building permits to extort property owners?" Those in favor of upholding such fees as being legally permitted by state legislatures include the National Association of Counties, National League of Cities, and the Government Finance Officers Association. By Garry Boulard ![]() A new federal initiative designed to fund infrastructure, development, technical assistance, and work training, among other things, for cities with defined poverty pockets, may soon be handing over to El Paso some $50 million in grant funding. The Distressed Area Recomplete program is designed to target some of the most economically hard-hit communities in the country. When funding outlays for the program were announced late last year, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo paraphrased President Biden in remarking that "no community in America will be left behind as we continue to grow our nation's economy and invest in American workers." El Paso has now been placed on a list comprised of nearly two dozen finalist cities and rural areas, out of an original applicant list of five hundred, eligible to receive the funding. In a statement, El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser said the potential big funding is but a "first step in strengthening our long-term economic growth." But equally important, continued the Mayor, is providing the "opportunity to find good paying jobs" that can transform a family's trajectory as it "revolutionizes our community." The current finalists for a program that is expected to have a two-phase lifespan include both state and local governments, as well as Tribal governments and economic development districts. According to the parameters of the Distressed Area Recomplete program, El Paso, by making it to the first phase list is now automatically invited to refine their application once the second phase of the project is fully underway. Of the 22 phase one finalists, only one other proposed project is based in the West: the Santa Cruz River and Sonoran, which could see $50 million invested in revitalizing mostly impoverished communities located along Interstate 19. By Garry Boulard ![]() Work could begin later this year on the building of a new water booster station inside the massive McGregor Range just to the north of El Paso. Funding of some $4.5 million has been secured for the project through the Defense Adjustment Assistance Grant Program, which is administered by the Texas Preparedness Commission. The funding, to be sent to the City of El Paso, is just a part of more than $15.4 million in state grants being sent to various military installations in the Lone Star State. In announcing the grants, Governor Greg Abbott noted the military importance of the various bases in the state, remarking: “Working together with our partners in the Texas Legislature, we will ensure these installations in Texas continue to offer unmatched military value.” Other base infrastructure funding through the program is going for a road access project, security upgrades, and energy resiliency work. The 700,000-acre McGregor Range, on land partially managed by the Bureau of Land Management, has long served as a training ground for soldiers based at the nearby Fort Bliss Army post, roughly 25 miles to the southeast. The Booster Station, which was built in 1958, is the single source of water at the McGregor Range. In application papers for the project, State Senator Cesar Blanco noted the age of the facility and remarked: “With Fort Bliss growing rapidly, the need to address the range’s Booster Station is urgent.” The U.S. Army acquired some 72,000 acres of the range in 1957 for training purposes, leading to the construction of access roads, supply buildings, laboratories, and housing facilities for the initial roughly 1,000 soldiers based there. By Garry Boulard ![]() In an effort to stake a place for the U.S. in the booming world of Artificial Intelligence, a move is underway to fund a federal institute that will deal with a wide variety of development, innovation, and policy issues related to the new technology. Democrat Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington and Republican Senator Todd Young of Indiana have gone on record proposing the approval of up to $10 million to fund what is being called the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute. The move has also won the support of New Mexico Democrat Martin Heinrich. In a letter addressed to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Sciences & Related Agencies, the Senators note that the “rapid advancement of AI innovations has brought forth immense possibilities and opportunities.” But with that advancement comes “potential challenges and risks that must be addressed in a safe manner.” To that end, they say, the new AI Safety Intelligence Institute has the capability of providing a “dedicated platform for research, collaboration, and implementation of safety measures in AI development.” The Institute's mission will additionally promulgate a “strategic imperative to ensure that AI technologies are developed in a manner that reflects our shared democratic values and supports American industry.” The AI Safety Intelligence Institute, operating under the auspices of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, was initially rolled out in November and tasked with developing standards for “authenticating AI-generated content,” while also providing “testing environments for researchers to evaluate emerging AI risks and address known impacts.” The $10 million requested by Cantwell, Young, Heinrich and others would be used to “bring on additional staff, accelerate work on testing environments, fund joint research partnerships, and support the coordination of private sector engagement” in the Institute’s work. In October, President Biden signed an executive order designed to require AI developers to follow safety and security standards in all AI-generated content. Noting that AI is growing at what he called a “warp speed,” Biden remarked: “To realize the promise of AI and avoid the risk, we need to govern this technology.” By Garry Boulard United Airlines May Significantly Expand its Footprint at the Denver International Airport1/12/2024 ![]() Upwards of 100 acres near the Denver International Airport may soon see development by one of the largest airlines in the country. The Chicago-based United Airlines purchased the land for around $33 million last year, announcing plans to use the property for a new flight training center. Now, published reports are suggesting that the company, which in terms of enplaned passengers is the fourth largest airline in the U.S., may also be thinking about moving its headquarters and setting up offices at the site. "This property gives us a lot of options," Russell Carlton, a spokesperson for United, recently told the publication CoStar News. Carlton went on to remark that United expects to take advantage of "additional opportunities in the future" for the site. The company has submitted a preliminary proposal to both the City and County of Denver for the building the flight training center, which will be built on a portion of the site. That property, at 17671 E. 64th Avenue, roughly 8 miles to the southwest of the Denver Airport, could see the completion of the first phase of the flight training center by the fall of 2027. United first began flying in and out of Denver in 1937, shortly afterwards advertising its "Chicago Executive" service straight from the Mile High City to the Windy City. For years the largest airline service at DIA, United has spent nearly $1 billion at the airport, increasing its gate capacity, building a new check-in lobby, and installing new user-friendly technology at its gates. By Garry Boulard ![]() A 32,000-square-foot structure on the southeast side of Louisville recently housing an advanced green hydrogen production facility is set to go to auction. Located at 1797 Boxelder Street, the solid built reinforced concrete building was completed in 2001 and sits on a 1.2-acre site. The structure formerly served as the home to the Intrex Aerospace company, but in recent years has served as a research and development facility for the business AquaHydrex, which has since entered bankruptcy proceedings. AquaHydrex, which was founded in 2012, hoped to make green hydrogen as an energy alternative more economically feasible. The company's mission was advertised as "creating disruptive innovations that will help the world to achieve a clean and sustainable future." After operating at the Boxelder Street building for several years, AquaHydrex last October filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in the Denver-based District of Colorado's bankruptcy court. Now an online auction is scheduled to be conducted on January 18 by Tiger Liquidity Services Energy Partners, based in Houston, and will uniquely include a host of high-tech machinery and equipment. In a statement, Chad Ferrell, managing director for the Tiger company, noted that AquaHydrex "had acquired a wide array of highly desirable laboratory, research and development, and test and measure equipment, making this online bankruptcy auction a strong opportunity for buyers in multiple sectors." That equipment includes autoclaves, environmental chambers, vacuum-tube furnaces, and electron microscopes. Also a part of the auction: lab scales, mixers, fume hoods, and spraying systems. Perhaps even more valuable, AquaHydrex's intellectual property, its blueprints, patents, and proprietary tooling will additionally be subject to auction. Interest in the auction thus far appears keen. Muthana Al-Najjar, a reporter for BNN Breaking News, recently wrote: "The anticipation surrounding this sale intensifies." The value of the overall property has earlier been listed as being more than $7.1 million. By Garry Boulard ![]() In an effort to spur and speed up the production of distribution transformers, a range of industry groups are asking Congress for $1.2 billion to push things along. That funding has been included in legislation passed by the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Committee and is designed to bolster both the transformer and critical grid component supply chain. In urging that both the House and Senate pass the funding legislation, the coalition of groups including the National Association of Home Builders, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and the American Public Power Association, said funding for advanced transformer production is crucial. "This will help domestic manufacturers increase capacity and catch up to existing orders, all the while providing greater certainty to end-users of critical grid components," said the communication sent to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The advent of more transformers everywhere, the communication continues, will result in an increase in home building, while communities across the country will be better able to tackle pressing infrastructure projects and regions can recover more quickly from natural disasters. Members of the NAHB, working on a variety of home construction projects, have reported that the wait time for transformers is often anywhere from 12 months to 24 months. Other contractors have reported delay times of up to three years. At the same time, according to a report issued last summer by The Conference Board, "costs for finished transformers have soared in some cases by more than 400% since 2020." Two factors leading to the short supply: in 2018 the Trump Administration raised tariffs on transformers coming out of China, resulting in a drop of more than 75% in that product to the U.S. An additional tariff was placed on the particular steel used in the making of transformers domestically. If both houses of Congress end up approving the $1.2 billion appropriation, it will be sent directly to the Department of Energy's Office of Electricity and Grid Deployment Office. By Garry Boulard ![]() Plans have now been announced for the construction of a new White Castle restaurant in Arizona, set to go up in downtown Goodyear. The project will mark the famous hamburger chain's third outlet in the Grand Canyon State, having opened previous locations in Scottsdale in 2019 and Tempe last year. The new Goodyear eatery at 1420 North Bullard Avenue will measure around 3,200 square feet and will be built to house a modern kitchen, dining space, covered patio, and a double drive-in. Launched in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas, the company for years has had a major presence in the Midwest as well as metro New York. In the last decade White Castle has expanded into Nevada as well as Florida. The new Goodyear restaurant, with construction set to begin later this spring, marks White Castle's largest presence in the West. White Castle is revered for its small, square hamburgers, otherwise known as "sliders," and is equally known for its chicken and fish sandwiches. Typical White Castle restaurants measure around 3,000 to 3,500 square feet, although the company's Orlando restaurant broke all records when it opened in 2022 with a 4,600-square-foot location. The company's architecture through the years has seen its facades designed to look like a Medieval castle, although more recent restaurants have often confined that motif to its signage, while also discarding the white cement block construction of the chain's early days. White Castle's growing presence in Arizona may seem strange given that it has not invaded other big growth states in West such as California, Colorado, and Texas. But a reporter for the Arizona Republic, covering the opening of the company's store in Scottsdale, discerned a business strategy in the large number of transplants now living in Arizona who fondly remember eating White Castle sliders in the Midwest. By Garry Boulard ![]() A proposal to build a large and controversial liquefied natural gas facility in Rio Rancho is being subject to review this week before members of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission. The Albuquerque-based New Mexico Gas Company has said that it wants to build what will be a $180 million facility on some 25 acres roughly two miles to the north of the Double Eagle II Airport. In 2022 the company submitted an application to the PRC saying that the new facility would help ensure a “reliable gas supply to customers of NMGC,” while at the same time endeavoring to “control the impacts of price volatility on the Company’s customers.” The project will particularly see the construction of a massive steel storage tank capable of holding up to one billion cubic feet of natural gas in liquid form. Even more, the facility will make it possible for the company to vaporize liquefied natural gas into gaseous form for use in NMGC’s distribution system. The project has sparked opposition from several quarters, including most prominently a group called the New Energy Economy, which is based in Santa Fe, and the Youth United for Climate Crisis Action of Albuquerque. Members of the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners have also spoken out against the project. In a letter sent last November to the PRC, fourteen state lawmakers registered their concerns regarding the facility, noting in part that a liquefied natural gas storage could increase the “risk of dangerous methane-fueled fires and wildfires.” The regulation commission’s evidentiary hearings for the NMGC project will be held throughout the rest of the week. The company earlier indicated that it hoped to launch construction of the Rio Rancho facility by the spring of this year, with a general completion date of sometime in 2026. By Garry Boulard |
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