Albany Update
Sloatsburg Service Area on Thruway Reopens
ALBANY—The New York State Thruway Authority announced on Sept. 10 the reopening of the newly renovated Sloatsburg Service Area located on I-87 northbound between exit 15A (Sloatsburg – Suffern – NY Routes 17 North & 59) and exit 16 (Harriman – US Route 6 – NY Route 17) in Rockland County. Featuring two floors and more than 31,000 square feet, the Sloatsburg Service Area is the largest of all 27 service areas on the NYS Thruway system.
New restaurant concepts at the Sloatsburg Service Area include: Shake Shack, Chick-fil- A, Starbucks, Dunkin’, Panda Express, Applegreen C-Store and Taste NY Food and Drink Products. The renovation includes a new floor plan, new restaurants, new restrooms, the addition of two new family assist restrooms and a private nursing area, additional seating as well as customer access to electrical outlets and phone/laptop charging stations. A second entrance to the building was also added near the fuel service area.
The Sloatsburg Service Area is also one of five select service areas to include an adult changing station to improve accessibility for all motorists. Adult changing stations provide those with special needs a safe and secure space for caregivers to provide assistance.
“The Sloatsburg Service Area is one of the busiest locations on the Thruway and is reopening after significant renovations with a variety of new restaurant options and amenities,” Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare, Esq. said. “The Service Area redevelopment project is one of several initiatives the Thruway Authority is involved in to modernize the Thruway system and improve the travel experience for motorists.”
The service area is the 19th location overall to open, and the first of four locations to undergo extensive renovations as part of the $450-million private investment to redevelop and modernize all 27 service areas.
State Environmental Facilities Corp. Approves $265M for Water Infrastructure Assistance
ALBANY—The New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors approved $265 million in financial assistance for water infrastructure improvement projects across the state. The board’s approval on Aug. 22 authorizes municipal access to low-cost financing and grants to get shovels in the ground for critical water and sewer infrastructure projects.
Of the project funding approved, $30 million in grants from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help 30 communities across the state to inventory lead service lines in drinking water systems, a vital first step for starting replacement projects and protecting public health.
The board approved grants and financings to local governments from BIL, the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds and grants already announced pursuant to the Water Infrastructure Improvement program.
Projects funded in the Hudson Valley region included:
CLEAN WATER PROJECTS
Village of Catskill – $7,569,500 grant and $3,853,187 interest-free financing from BIL, and a $3,716,313 WIIA grant for the planning, design, and construction of collection system and wastewater treatment plant upgrades to eliminate combined sewer overflows in the village.
Town of Thompson – $6,939,000 grant and $5,337,679 interest-free financing from BIL; $416,800 market-rate financing from the CWSRF; and a $3,363,899 WIIA grant for the planning, design, and construction of upgrades to the Emerald Green Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Westchester County – $8,120,525 interest-free and $8,120,524 market-rate financing from the CWSRF for the planning, design, and construction of the Peekskill Wastewater Treatment Plant digester, aeration, and heating system.
DRINKING WATER PROJECTS
Village of South Blooming Grove – $1,759,115 interest-free and $3,518,228 market-rate financing from the DWSRF, and a $4,702,657 WIIA grant for the construction of a new pump station at the Mangin Road storage, treatment, and pumping site, construction of a 400,000-gallon elevated steel water storage tank to replace the existing Fort Worth storage tanks, construction of two wells and associated appurtenances, and replacement of approximately one mile of existing water main and appurtenances.
City of Yonkers – $2,593,128 WIIA grant for the replacement of approximately 300 linear feet of the Wendover Transmission Main where it crosses below the Saw Mill River Parkway.
The board also approved approximately $30 million for lead service line inventory projects and took action to help ensure continued, long-term affordability of existing projects.
The board approved long-term, interest-free financing totaling more than $20 million for projects undertaken by the Town of Rockland, the Village of Tupper Lake, and the Water Authority of Great Neck North. On Sept. 12, the New York State Environmental Facilities Corp. successfully closed State Revolving Funds Revenue Bonds Series 2024 B. The transaction will refund EFC’s Series 2014 B bonds, which were issued to support critical environmental infrastructure projects that improve water quality and protect public health.
EFC issues refunding bonds as part of its proactive financial management to ensure these environmentally beneficial projects remain cost-effective for the public over the life of the financing. Refunding bonds allow EFC’s municipal partners to benefit from lower interest rates, resulting in reduced debt service payments, ultimately benefiting ratepayers. The transaction will save 40 recipients $13 million over the next 20 years for 81 projects across the state.
“With this transaction, EFC is upholding its legacy of proactively administering the most efficient and effective State Revolving Funds in the nation,” EFC President and CEO Maureen A. Coleman said. “EFC is committed to maximizing resources and helping communities lower the cost burden of financing clean water and drinking water projects.”
The transaction was approved by EFC’s Board of Directors at its May 23 meeting and closed on Sept. 11. The bonds were underwritten through a syndicate led by Siebert Williams Shank as the senior manager, and Morgan Stanley as the co-senior manager. EFC’s financial advisors for the transaction were PFM Financial Advisors, Independent Public Advisors, and Rockfleet Financial Services. EFC’s co-bond counsel on the transaction was Hawkins Delafield & Wood, and the Law Offices of Joseph C. Reid.
I-287 Road Project In Westchester Begins
ALBANY—On Aug. 20, New Yor Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the start of a $32.4-million project that will resurface and restore a 5.5- mile stretch of Interstate 287 in Westchester County.
The project will repair road joints, add new pavement and upgrade road striping along the section of highway between Westchester Avenue in the Town of Harrison and U.S. Route 1 in the City of Rye. To minimize traffic impacts along this critical highway, which is a vital link for motorists traveling between the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge and the State of Connecticut, all work will take place at night.
The contractor on the project is Grace Industries, LLC of Melville, NY which is expected to begin work on the project this summer with the repair of highway road joints. Road resurfacing will get started as soon as weather permits in 2025 with the milling of the existing pavement along the highway and all exit and entrance ramps within the project scope, state officials said.
Fiber-reinforced, warmmix asphalt will then be overlayed on the roadway. This reinforced asphalt overlay is longer-lasting and more durable than the existing pavement, which will minimize cracking and extend the pavement’s service life. Drainage systems will also be repaired to better handle stormwater runoff and grooved inlaid striping with reflective epoxy paint will be added to increase the visibility of pavement markings during storms, further enhancing safety. Traffic signals and curb ramps at adjacent exits and entrances will also be upgraded. Construction is anticipated to be complete in the fall of 2025.