News

Westchester County Board of Legislators unanimously passed a measure on April 20 that expands access to quality training in the skilled trades

ALBANY— In advance of the warmer spring market now upon us, the New York State Department of Transportation has front-loaded a host of major road and bridge improvements in the lower Hudson Valley and in New York City. In fact, Region 8 (which covers most of the Hudson Valley region) saw a total of approximately $141.8 million in apparent low bids on contracts let during the period of Feb. 27 through March 26.

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY—Chief county officials from Orange, Dutchess, Sullivan and Ulster counties are all generally in support of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s efforts to implement some reforms to the State Environmental Quality Review Act to expedite certain projects. They also agree that more needs to be done by the state to help facilitate the development of affordable housing and reduce taxes for its residents and workers.

NEW WINDSOR, NY—The Orange County Industrial Development Agency announced recently it had launched its Orange County Brownfields Revitalization Initiative.

Traffic delays are frustrating, but on New York State Route 17 they also can prove dangerous. When drivers are forced into sudden stops and bottlenecks, the consequences go far beyond inconvenience. When emergency vehicles—and their response teams—are slowed by congestion, it becomes a matter of safety, and in some cases, of life and death.

FRANKFORT, KY—A federal judge has dismissed a Kentucky milling company’s challenge to the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program in Mid-America Milling Company v. U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on March 19, saying recent changes instituted by the agency preempted any further need for the litigation. Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove’s ruling will likely have minimal immediate effect on DBE program implementation but could open the door for other legal challenges or policy changes in the longer term.

TARRYTOWN, NY—The Construction Industry Council announced that William “Bill” Murphy, who led a major heavy/highway contracting company in the downstate region for more than two decades, Halmar Contracting, Inc., of Mount Vernon, NY, has retired from his position as a member of the trade group’s Board of Directors. Mr. Murphy joined the CIC Board of Directors in 1986 and guided the association and its affiliated organizations through four decades of significant membership growth—from its initial 60 companies to more than 250 major employers in 2026.

A construction contract is more than just an assemblage of legalese terms—it is the single document which defines the relationship between the parties. Absent a provision which violates public policy (pay-if-paid, pre-emptive lien waivers, indemnification of a party for its own negligence, etc.), the contract will be strictly enforced as written, including any conditions precedent to bringing a lawsuit.

The economy of the Lower Hudson Valley in 2025, particularly Westchester County, reflects the broader structural evolution of suburban regions within the New York metropolitan area. The region’s economic performance can be understood through three interconnected markets: the labor market, the housing market, and the commercial real estate market. Together these sectors reveal a regional economy characterized by relatively low unemployment, strong but constrained housing demand, and a commercial property sector still adjusting to post-pandemic work patterns.

Next Gen Leaders Profiles of the Industry’s New Generation DANIELLA MULVEY Age: 25 Summary: A problem solver by nature, Daniella looks at challenges with a keen desire to find solutions and answers to problems—whether they’re in the current or yet-to-be-built material world—or even in the realm of the imagination. (That’s probably why her favorite reading