Public-Private Partnership Board Approves Projects to Establish Wetland Mitigation Bank, Pursue Development Around Train Stations

Public-Private Partnership Board Approves Projects to Establish Wetland
Mitigation Bank, Pursue Development Around Train Stations

7/13/2017-HARRISBURG

Pennsylvania's Public-Private Partnership (P3) Board today approved two
projects – one that will establish a wetland mitigation bank to offset
environmental impacts from construction or development projects, and
another to
pursue transit oriented development (TOD) at one or more stations along
Amtrak's Keystone Corridor from Harrisburg to Philadelphia.

The board also approved the 2016-17 Annual Report from the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation (PennDOT) P3 Office, which provides updates on

active P3 projects.

"We're putting public-private partnerships to work in ways that improve our

services and efficiency while also improving communities," PennDOT
Secretary
and P3 Board Chair Leslie S. Richards said. "Improvements are happening
across
the state because of our P3 program and I encourage the public to review
the
report to see how we're working for them."

Through the proposed wetland mitigation bank, a PennDOT-owned, 140-acre
site in
Chalfont, Bucks County, would be developed so PennDOT and private
developers
can meet federal environmental requirements by applying for credits to
offset
environmental impacts on projects. A private entity would be selected to
operate, finance and maintain the site, streamlining the environmental
review
process as well as project timelines compared to establishing separate
sites
for each applicable project.

Once established, the department anticipates it would use up to half of the

credits provided through the wetland bank for projects in its King of
Prussia-
and Allentown-based engineering districts. The remaining credits would be
periodically released by the private partner, generating revenue from
private-sector developers needing to offset environmental impacts.

Following the board's approval, the department estimates an approximately
two-year project timeline: advertise a request for qualifications in
December;
select shortlisted firms to proceed to request for proposals stage in March

2018; issue a request for proposals in May 2018 and select a preferred
proposer
in August 2018. In taking a phased approach to site development, the
short-term
goal would be to have portions of the site ready to provide wetland credits
in
two to three years from proposer selection.

The project concept was submitted by Magnolia Land Partners LLC for
consideration during the unsolicited proposal period in October 2016.
PennDOT
accepts unsolicited proposals for transportation projects in April and
October
each year.

The other project approved by the board seeks to build on the TOD P3
project
already being administered for the Middletown train station. The department

will seek interested proposers to develop and connect the areas around one
or
more stations including Harrisburg, Elizabethtown, Mount Joy, Lancaster,
Parkesburg and Downingtown. These TOD opportunities may include one or more
of
the following: soliciting a private partner to provide operation and
maintenance services, allowing a private partner to provide parking
upgrades
either through surface lot expansion or with the construction of parking
garages, and if deemed feasible, the ability to provide both residential or

commercial development.

The project will complement the investments PennDOT is making in these
stations
to improve accessibility and connectivity to the communities they serve.

Following the board's approval, the department will develop a project
schedule
that considers conducting a review of market soundness to determine whether
to
proceed on an individual station basis or whether to bundle more than one
station into a P3 agreement. The schedule will be shared with the P3 Board
prior to administering the project.

The Public-Private Transportation Partnerships Act was signed into law in
September 2012 and authorized P3 projects in Pennsylvania. This law allows
PennDOT and other transportation authorities and commissions to partner
with
private companies to participate in delivering, maintaining and financing
transportation-related projects.

As part of the P3 law, the seven-member Public Private Transportation
Partnership Board was appointed to examine and approve potential
public-private
transportation projects. If the board determines a state operation or
project
would be more cost-effectively administered or delivered by a private
company,
the department or appropriate transportation agency can advertise a
competitive
RFP and enter a contract with a company to completely or partially deliver
the
transportation-related service or project.

To view the 2016-17 Annual Report, learn about the active Middletown TOD P3

project, and see more about P3 in Pennsylvania, visit www.P3forPA.pa.gov.

To view a complete list of District 6 News Releases: Click
http://www.penndot.gov/RegionalOffices/district-6/Pages/allnews.aspx

To unsubscribe click
http://www.dot.state.pa.us/penndot/districts/district6/d6media.nsf/unsubscribeform?OpenForm