Mary Scott Nabers is CEO of research and consulting firm Strategic Partnerships Inc. and the author of “Inside the Infrastructure Revolution – A Roadmap for Rebuilding America.” Opinions are the author’s own.
Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Texas, Florida and Arizona are among the fastest-growing states in America. In any rapidly growing state, booming population growth brings abundant opportunities for contractors.
Construction firms interested in finding upcoming work, especially projects tied to infrastructure expansions, can look for fast-growth areas in almost any state. Water resources are in high demand as are hospital expansions, healthcare facilities, additional school rooms, new law enforcement facilities and all types of other amenities for families and businesses.
Here are five examples of public projects that are in the works across the country:
New Braunfels, Texas
Six of the 10 fastest-growing counties in the U.S are located in Texas. This surge in growth is particularly seen in the corridor between Austin and San Antonio as well as the North Texas communities surrounding the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. These areas are exploding with infrastructure upgrade needs and officials there are either designing or considering new, large projects.
Voters in New Braunfels approved funding for a $28.56 million construction project that will deliver a new library. It is currently being designed as a 23,250-square-foot facility that will serve the rapidly growing southeastern part of the city.
When finished, it will contain quiet rooms for studying and research, meeting spaces, a public plaza, garden areas and a technology lab to support educational programming for all age groups. Additionally, the new library will offer 24/7 lobby access for book pickup and dropoff.
Rockville, Maryland
Mary Scott Nabers
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Law enforcement facilities are in high demand in many regions but particularly for cities located along fast-growth corridors. The White Flint Fire Station located in Rockville, Maryland, will soon be replaced with a new facility.
The $38 million construction project will deliver a one-story facility with five apparatus bays. It will house fire and rescue services and a police station. The building will also include dormitory support spaces, private bunkrooms, administrative offices and meeting/training areas.
There will be parking spaces for fire station staff and 26 spaces for police officials in a secure area. Sustainability will be a core aspect of the project, and the building will be designed for net-zero energy. Photovoltaic arrays will be installed on the roof and the site will also incorporate stormwater management systems. Currently in the design phase, the project’s construction is planned for 2026.
Lehi, Utah
Utah is historically one of the country’s fastest-growing states. A large upcoming transportation project in the city of Lehi has been tagged with an estimated cost of $554 million. The project will be designed to expand the freeway connection along 2100 North between the Mountain View Corridor and Interstate-15.
Upon completion, east-west travel between key routes across northwest Utah County and Salt Lake County will be safer and more efficient. The project will reduce congestion, streamline traffic flow and improve access to and from Lehi.
Other project components will include development of trails, improved access and safety for pedestrians and cyclists. The design work is currently underway, and construction will follow.
Odenton, Maryland
The city of Odenton in Maryland is a suburb of Baltimore with a population of 45,026 and part of its growth is stimulated continually because property is less expensive just outside of Baltimore.
Odenton offers residents a dense suburban feel, lower property taxes, great public transportation and lots of parkland. Recently, an announcement was made that an area near a public transit station will benefit from federal funding to support a transit-oriented development.
The location will provide enhanced transit options for Odenton, which is also a bedroom community to Washington, D.C. Homeowners in the new community will have convenient public transportation to worksites in both Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Approximately 900 new housing units will be constructed in a multifamily and mixed-use development near Odenton Station. Community amenities of various types will be components of the project and there will be space for retail and other types of necessary facilities. The project is already being designed and solicitations are expected in late 2024.
Wildwood, Florida
Florida boasts four of the nation’s top five fastest-growing metropolitan areas. Smaller communities that adjoin the fast-growing metro areas are experiencing critical infrastructure needs, not the least of which is water infrastructure.
The city of Wildwood is located 50 miles from Orlando and 75 miles from Tampa in northern Sumter County. It has been a rural community but because it is now home to The Villages, one of the nation’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas, city leaders are planning to construct a new wastewater treatment plant to meet community needs..
The $150 million project calls for construction of a new 4 million gallon/day facility and the existing treatment infrastructure will also be renovated and upgraded. This will be the largest project in the city’s history, and it will allow continued economic development efforts for the entire county. The project is being designed on a short timeline with completion set in 2027, so solicitation documents are expected soon.