Nick Reisman writes on Pressconnects.com - “New York lawmakers are trying to compel the state to cough up more than $1 billion for 232 construction projects around New York that are due to start later this year.

Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, D-Greenburgh, Westchester County, and Sen. Martin Dilan, D-Brooklyn, introduced a measure on Wednesday that would allow state agencies to start funding the projects in which more than 80 construction firms had been identified as the lowest bidders.

The concern is that some projects set to break ground this summer won’t have the necessary funding in place to start on time.

Final approval of the contracts, however, has been delayed by the lack of a state budget, now more than two months late.

“We’ve got over $1.1 billion in new construction projects that are just in limbo,” Steve Stallmer, a spokesman for the Associated General Contractors, an Albany-based trade group. “We’re missing the entire construction season. There are some projects for July and August that won’t even be able start.”

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