Tom Precious of the Buffalo News writes:

“Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo will be at the University at Buffalo Tuesday morning to make an announcement involving a $35 million state funding plan to help pay for a capital construction program at UB, state officials say.

The governor will unveil the specifics of the funding he proposed earlier this year for each of the four state university centers — Buffalo, Albany, Binghamton and Stony Brook — as part of a broader plan adopted earlier this year by lawmakers that also included annual tuition hikes across the state university system.

Funding came out of the university’s long UB 2020 lobbying effort, which once featured a $5 billion massive construction program that included moving thousands of students and employees to its downtown Buffalo campus and major rebuilding on its other two campuses.”

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According to an article in The Post-Standard:

“At a time when national, state and regional economies show few signs of revival, one Syracuse neighborhood — the University Hill area — booms with development projects recently completed, under way or soon to start.

Some of the work can be clearly seen even to those passing by on Interstate 81. Other pieces are less visible. Together, they represent more than $780 million in construction work and new equipment.

Among the most visible are the Center of Excellence in Energy and Environmental Systems, the modern, green building at the corner of East Water and Almond streets that was completed in 2010, and the Upstate Cancer Center being built on the west side of Upstate University Hospital on Adams Street.”

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Recordonline.com reporter Judy Rife reports, “Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo inspected the Tappan Zee Bridge from a tugboat Monday and declared the aging span a symbol of the state’s deteriorating infrastructure.

“I wanted to get a first-hand look myself,” said Cuomo, who is spending the time between now and his inauguration Jan. 1 familiarizing himself with issues he’ll confront as governor. “It was a very informative tour, and it was also fun to be on the river.”

Cuomo called the repair or replacement of the Tappan Zee “a very important issue” for the region as well as the state, and pointed out similar decisions have to be made about roughly 5,000 of New York’s 17,000 bridges.

The governor-elect, deferring to ongoing environmental studies, offered no opinion about what should be done with the bridge or where the money would come from to do it.

He appeared to rule out new taxes and new money in general, saying the state faces a $9 billion deficit and has to get creative with the $137 billion budget it already has.”

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Adam Sichko of The Business Review writes about new rules that could limit home building in suburban areas and further hurt New York’s struggling economy.

“Developers and builders are bracing themselves for new legislation aimed at squashing suburban sprawl—with some fearing that it could limit what they build and slow down projects.

The bill, which sailed through the Legislature last month, requires state agencies to prioritize infrastructure funding to only projects that meet what are called “smart growth” principles.

The idea is to drive mixed-use development in areas that already have roads, power lines, sewers and water pipes in place.”

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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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According to the state comptroller, even though New York has fared better than many other states, the housing market conditions continue to threaten homeowners with foreclosures and reduced home values. Foreclosures, a soft housing market and declining property values can impact local government and school district finances, particularly downstate.

To read the press release click here.

To read the report click here.

A unified Republican  conference in the Senate defeated a disastrous bill that would have stopped economic development projects all over the state by convincing three upstate Democrats to join them in opposition.

The Business Council vigorously opposed the bill (S.1635) that would have given individuals standing to bring lawsuits alleging violations of the environmental quality review provisions of the Environmental Conservation Law. These lawsuits could have halted numerous construction projects around the state and discouraged future investment and development. Read The Business Council’s opposition memo here.

Republican Senator Michael Ranzenhofer led the opposition debate saying, “I think the passage of this bill would put up a sign saying New York is closed for business.”

He added that the legislation would be “devastating” for his community in western New York.

Listen to his debate.

The Business Council of New York State opposes the above referenced legislation that enacts The New York State Construction Fair Play Act. Part SS of the Assembly Budget Article VII bill (A.9706-B) creates the presumption that all workers at a construction site are employees.

Part SS of the Assembly Budget Article VII bill (A.9706-B) establishes a presumptive three part test in the construction industry that would destroy the independent contractor status for many workers. Under the proposed three part test any person performing services for a contractor or subcontractor shall be classified as an employee unless all of the following criteria are met: (a) the individual is free from control and direction in performing the job, both under his or her contract and in fact; (b) the service must be performed outside the usual course of business for which the service is performed; and (c) the individual is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, profession, or business that is similar to the service at issue.

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Vital road and bridge construction projects are being halted due to the state budget crisis and Gov. David Paterson’s decision to halt state payments for existing construction contracts.

Gannett News Service reporter Joseph Spector explains that the suspension of payments is creating chaos.

He writes:  “The state’s recent decision to withhold
state aid for road projects has prompted contractors
to shut down some construction across New York,
putting people out of work and leading to repair
delays.

Private contractors said Wednesday they have shut
down sites in the Hudson Valley and central New
York and expect widespread stoppages if the state
doesn’t soon release aid for the road work.

Some contractors said they have laid off dozens of
workers, in some cases as many as 100 employees,
because the companies are not getting paid.

In all, more than 500 active construction projects in
New York could be affected, totaling $5 billion in
contracts. Also, the state has halted awarding any�
new construction contracts, leaving scores of other
projects in doubt.”

Read the story.

The Business Council of New York State, Inc. agrees with the construction industry that this work is needed and the funding should be released.

“New York must maintain a safe and viable infrastructure. The current suspension of payments for existing construction projects puts all of us at risk,” said Kenneth Adams, president and CEO of The Business Council of New York State, Inc.

“Safe roads and bridges are vital to our economy. They allow for the free flow of goods, services and employees,” added Adams. “New York cannot shirk the responsibility to maintain our roads and bridges.”

Read the full Business Council statement.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood applauded the Senate for extending critical transportation funding that has been held up since last Friday, disrupting work for thousands of federal and transportation workers nationwide. Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning’s decision to block the legislation last week forced the DOT to furlough nearly 2,000 employees without pay Monday, temporarily shut down highway reimbursements to states worth hundreds of millions of dollars, as well as national anti-drunk driving efforts, and multi-million dollar construction projects across the country. “I am pleased that the Senate has acted to break its logjam and extend the Highway Trust Fund for another 30 days,” said Secretary LaHood. “This means that our valued employees may return to work. It also means that their important work getting the economy back on its feet, ensuring Americans’ safety and keeping critical construction projects moving will be able to continue.”