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Mary Scott Nabers is managing director of the research and consulting firm Strategic Partnerships Inc. and author of “Inside the Infrastructure Revolution – A Roadmap for Rebuilding America.” The opinions are the author’s own.
Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Texas, Florida and Arizona are among the fastest growing states in America. In any fast-growing state, booming population growth offers abundant opportunities for contractors.
Construction companies interested in finding nearby work, especially projects tied to infrastructure expansions, can search for fast-growing areas in almost any state. Water resources are in high demand, as are hospital expansions, health facilities, additional school classrooms, new law enforcement facilities, and all sorts 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 US are in Texas. This increase in growth is particularly seen in the Austin-San Antonio corridor, as well as in the North Texas communities surrounding the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. These areas are exploding with infrastructure improvement needs and officials are designing or considering major new projects.
New Braunfels voters approved funding for a $28.56 million construction project that will provide a new library. It is currently being designed as a 23,250 square foot facility that will serve the rapidly growing southeast portion of the city.
When complete, it will include quiet rooms for study and research, meeting spaces, a public plaza, landscaped areas and a technology lab to support educational programming for all ages. In addition, the new library will offer 24-hour lobby access for book pick-up and drop-off.
Rockville, Maryland
Mary Scott Nabers
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Law enforcement facilities are in high demand in many regions, but especially in cities located along fast-growing corridors. The White Flint Fire Station located in Rockville, Maryland will soon be replaced by a new facility.
The $38 million construction project will provide a one-story facility with five apparatus bays. It will house the fire and rescue services and a police station. The building will also include dormitory support spaces, private bunks, administrative offices and meeting/training areas.
There will be parking spaces for fire station staff and 26 spaces for police officers in a secure area. Sustainability will be a fundamental 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 rainwater management systems. Currently in the design phase, construction of the project is scheduled for 2026.
Lehi, Utah
Utah is historically one of the fastest growing states in the country. A major transportation project has been flagged for the city of Lehi with an estimated cost of $554 million. The project will be designed to extend the freeway connection along 2100 North between the Mountain View corridor and Interstate-15.
Once completed, east-west travel between key routes in northwest Utah County and Salt Lake County will be safer and more efficient. The project will reduce congestion, streamline traffic flow and improve access from Lehi.
Other components of the project will include trail development, improved access and safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Design work is ongoing and construction will follow.
Odenton, Maryland
The city of Odenton in Maryland is a suburb of Baltimore with a population of 45,026 and some of its growth is continuously stimulated by the fact that property is less expensive outside of Baltimore.
Odenton offers residents a dense suburban feel, lower property taxes, great public transportation, and lots of parks. Recently, an announcement was made that an area near a transit station will benefit from federal funding to support transit-oriented development.
The location will provide improved transit options for Odenton, which is also a bedroom community in Washington, DC. Owners of the new community will have convenient public transportation to work sites in both Maryland and Washington, DC.
Approximately 900 new housing units will be built in a multifamily, mixed-use development near Odenton Station. Community facilities of various types will be components of the project and there will be space for shops and other types of necessary facilities. The project is already being designed and applications are expected at the end of 2024.
Wildwood, Florida
Florida has four of the five fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country. Smaller communities adjacent to rapidly growing metropolitan 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’s been a rural community, but now that it’s home to The Villages, one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country, city leaders plan to build a new wastewater treatment plant to meet the needs of the community
The $150 million project calls for the construction of a new 4 million gallon/day facility and will also renovate and upgrade existing treatment infrastructure. This will be the largest project in the history of the city and will allow the economic development efforts of the entire county to continue. The project is being designed in a short time frame with expected completion in 2027, so application documents are expected soon.
