Dec 15 2009
A dozen infrastructure projects will be underway in 2010 at the downtown Sacramento Railyards resulting from last week's allocation of $31.2 million by the California Transportation Commission combined with federal stimulus dollars and earlier State bond allocations. With local unemployment hovering around 12%, this infrastructure work valued at approximately $200 million couldn't have come at a better time. These projects will provide a significant number of jobs and deliver a much needed boost to the regional economy.
Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson stated, "The Railyards project continues to be a catalyst for downtown development. The Railyards construction projects announced to begin in 2010 will have a considerable impact on our region." "These infrastructure projects will produce a tremendous number of jobs and will play a vital role in our region's economic recovery," added Suheil Totah, vice president of Thomas Enterprises.
Contractor bidding on various projects will take place in early 2010 with construction starting mid-second quarter. One of the projects is the first phase of the Sacramento Intermodal Transportation Facility (SITF), which is a state-of-the-art regional hub for passenger and freight trains, light rail, and buses and serves millions of travelers each year. Additional projects under construction in 2010 include Sacramento Regional Transit's "Green Line", several roadways, overpasses, bike/pedestrian pathways, underground utilities and rehabilitation of the historic buildings at the largest urban infill site in the country.
In other funding news, the SITF is also a viable contender for additional federal stimulus funding from the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program. Awards under this program will be announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation in February 2010.
The 244-acre Railyards redevelopment project is located in downtown Sacramento, and is the historic site of the western terminus of the transcontinental railroad. The Railyards is a public-private partnership between Thomas Enterprises, Inc., the City of Sacramento, the State of California and the United States government. The Railyards will create 19,000 permanent jobs, 56,000 construction jobs and result in an ongoing annual positive economic impact of $2.7 billion. Private investment in the project will exceed $5 billion.
Source: http://www.sacramentorailyards.com/