On Dec. 12, the Dormitory Authority released a bid for Phase One of the project that will include building demolition, hazardous waste abatement, site preparation and site clearing utility work. A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for Wed., Jan. 3, 2024, at the project site in New Hampton at 10 a.m. Proposals are due on Jan. 18, 2024, and it is anticipated that work on the first phase could begin in the spring of 2024. The Dormitory Authority has hired TDX Construction, which is headquartered in Purchase, NY, as the Construction Manager for the project.

Todd Diorio, president of the Hudson Valley Building & Construction Trades Council, confirmed that the project sponsors have finalized a Project Labor Agreem0ent with the building trades on the project. He told CONSTRUCTION NEWS that while no firm cost estimates for the entire project have been released, he believes the overall cost will range somewhere between $300 million to $450 million.

New York Power Authority HQ RFP White Plains, Westchester County

The New York Power Authority is currently reviewing proposals for a brand new 250,000-square-foot Class A state-of-the-art corporate headquarters in Downtown White Plains and a decision on the utility’s new site requirement could come in three to four months.

One of the options the New York Power Authority is considering is financing a build-to-suit headquarters building in Downtown White Plains along with a sale or partnership for its more than 400,000 square-foot existing office building for possible redevelopment. If those deals were finalized, it would no doubt be easily valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars in investment and economic benefit to the city and region.

The firm, currently headquartered at 123 Main St. in Downtown White Plains, issued a Request for Proposal on Aug. 18 and is currently reviewing multiple proposals it has received, according to a number of knowledgeable real estate sources. The due date on the New York Power Authority’s RFP was Nov. 17 and developer interviews are scheduled for this month and January 2024. The company currently employs approximately 900 workers at its White Plains office building. The RFP is explicit in that the company’s search for a new corporate headquarter site is limited to the White Plains Central Business District.

For full details on the Power Authority’s RFP see the related story – NYPA Seeks New Corporate HQ In Downtown White Plains CBD.

MGM Empire City Casino Yonkers, NY (Westchester County)

MGM Resorts International unveiled its vision on Nov. 30 to transition Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts into a worldclass entertainment destination—MGM Empire City—if awarded a commercial casino license for its historic Yonkers, NY site. Key elements of the phase one design include a comprehensive casino floor redevelopment and expansion, 5,000-capacity entertainment venue, state-of-the-art “BetMGM sportsbook,” food and beverage outlets by celebrated chefs, cocktail bars and lounges, technologically advanced meeting spaces and more.

MGM Empire City’s plans feature a complete property redevelopment shifting from a video lottery terminal racino into a full-scale commercial casino with live-dealer table games, the newest slot machines and a high-limit gaming area for the most discerning casino guests. The design includes the addition of several new destination dining experiences, including a modern steakhouse, a casual quick-serve Italian American experience and an authentic Asian noodle bar and eatery. Existing venues Big Kitchen food court and The Pub sports bar will also transform into new, high-end food concepts. The plan also includes development of a new parking garage to significantly enhance the guest arrival experience while also providing visitors with direct and convenient access to the casino and its amenities.

No development cost estimates were released in connection with the planned expansion. However, previously published reports have indicated that future expansion plans at Empire City in connection with the award of a full casino gaming license by New York State would approach or exceed $1 billion.

MGM Resorts stated that the entertainment venue will be the first-of its-kind in the region, hosting A-list performers and events in a spectacular 5,000-capacity setting with unrivaled views, cutting-edge acoustics and dedicated amenities. Many members of the business, construction and organized labor sectors, including The Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc. have pledged their support for MGM’s bid for a full casino gaming license by the New York State Gaming Commission. A decision on up to three downstate casino licenses is expected sometime in 2024. For full details on the MGM Empire City Casino plan, see the related story – Finally, MGM Resorts Unveils Empire City Expansion Plan.

$10-Billion Upstate Chip Plant Partnership Capital District, New York

In a major capital investment in the Capital Region of New York State, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Dec. 11 a $10-billion partnership with leaders from the semiconductor industry, including Armonk-based IBM, Micron, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, and others to establish a next-generation semiconductor research and development center at NY CREATES’ Albany NanoTech Complex.

The partnership will fund the construction of a cutting-edge High NA Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Center— the first and only publicly owned High NA EUV Center in North America —that will support the research and development of the world’s most complex and powerful semiconductors. In addition to the transformative investment in New York’s Capital Region, this partnership will make New York State home to the nation’s most advanced, publicly owned semiconductor R&D infrastructure, support the long-term growth of New York’s tech economy, and create and retain thousands of direct, indirect, and union construction jobs.

To support the project, New York State is investing $1 billion to expand the Albany NanoTech Complex with the establishment of the High NA EUV Center through the purchase of ASML’s EXE:5200 High NA EUV scanner, as well as the construction of NanoFab Reflection, a new, highly sophisticated building with more than 50,000 square feet of cleanroom space that will encourage future partner growth and support new initiatives like the National Semiconductor Technology Center, National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program, and Department of Defense Microelectronics Commons program, the latter of which was recently awarded to New York State. The project will create an estimated peak of 500 to 600 union construction jobs at prevailing wage during the two-year construction phase. See the related story – New York State to Chip in $1 Billion For $10B Albany Nanotech Complex.

Gateway Tunnel Project (New York, New Jersey)

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg, and the Federal Railroad Administration joined NJ TRANSIT and Project Sponsor the Gateway Development Commission on Nov. 30 in Newark, NJ to announce the start of construction in New Jersey on the Hudson Tunnel Project as work began on the Tonnelle Avenue Bridge and Utility Relocation Project. The groundbreaking marked a significant milestone for the $16-billion Gateway Rail Tunnel project.

The Tonnelle Avenue Bridge and Utility Relocation Project is a major early work component of the Hudson Tunnel Project involving the relocation of utilities and the construction of a new roadway bridge for Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen, NJ. The new roadway bridge will be located immediately above a new future railroad right-of-way, which will allow for a connection to the new tunnel portal at the western slope of the New Jersey Palisades. It will also provide construction access between the staging sites on either side of Tonnelle Avenue, as well as access to the entry point for the Tunnel Boring Machines that will dig the Palisades Tunnel portion of the project.

This announcement is a significant milestone marking the Hudson Tunnel Project’s start of active construction on both sides of the Hudson River. Earlier this month, work began in Manhattan on the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing —Section 3, an essential right-of-way preservation project that guarantees the new tunnel’s connection to New York Penn Station.

“As we break ground on this side of the Hudson alongside our partners from Washington and New York, we edge one step closer to making our bold vision for the Gateway Project a reality,” said New Jersey Gov. Murphy. “Since the outset of my administration, we’ve worked tirelessly to deliver the world-class transportation system New Jerseyans urgently need and deserve. By undertaking the most important infrastructure project in the nation, we will generate good-paying jobs, support our growing economy, and promote safer more efficient transportation for residents and visitors alike.”

“After decades of delays, the Gateway Program is finally moving forward. The Hudson Tunnel is a nationally important piece of infrastructure and will bring millions of visitors to New York every year,” New York Gov. Hochul said. “I am proud of the work we have done with President Biden, Secretary Buttigieg, Senior Advisor Landrieu, Amtrak, and our partners in New Jersey to advance this project and I thank Majority Leader Schumer and the New York Congressional delegation for providing critical support.”     The Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center in New Hampton, NY was slated for closure by the State Department of Health under a consolidation plan released in 2013, but the DOH reversed itself and announced it would remain open.