State Approves Javits Expansion

State leaders have approved a $1.4 billion expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, endorsing a plan that will create 1.1-million-sq.-ft. of capacity in a new "convention corridor" - bringing New York back into the top ranks of event host cities. It most recently has been 18th nationally in terms of capacity. Construction is slated begin this spring.

Gov. George Pataki signed a bill passed by the state legislature in December, advancing a plan that many city and state leaders had supported. But the vote omitted plans for a new 75,000-seat stadium for the New York Jets football team that Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other supporters had hoped to link to the convention proposal, in hopes of helping both win approval. Now, it appears, the stadium is running on a separate track, though it also had moved ahead with a recent vote of support from the Empire State Development Corporation.

According to a press release, the expanded center is expected to generate nearly $50 million in additional annual tax revenue for the city and state. It could also serve as a stimulant for redeveloping the 59-block Hudson Yards district, whose rezoning is under consideration by the New York City Council.

The first phase of expansion would increase exhibit space from 760,000 sq. ft. to 1,100,000 sq. ft., while creating the largest ballroom in the city, with a capacity of 6,000 people. The city and state would each contribute $350 million, while the hotel industry would dedicate part of a tax surcharge, generating another $500 million. A second phase to bring the total space up to 1.7 million sq. ft. - which could incorporate convention uses for the proposed Jets stadium - needs separate financing.

N.J. Gov. Calls for Turnpike Expansion

Acting Gov. Richard Codey has called for extending 20.1 miles of the New Jersey Turnpike in order to relieve congestion in the central part of the Garden State. In one of his first official acts since taking office last fall when Gov. James McGreevey resigned, Codey directed the state's turnpike authority to begin engineering and design work for the leg through Middlesex, Mercer, and Burlington counties.

According to a press release, the work will extend the existing separate car-only and car-and-truck lane divisions in the northern part of the state past their current terminus at Exit 8A. The new separated lanes would flow south to Exit 6, which becomes a connector road linking to the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

The section between those exits carries 120,000 vehicles a day, but especially clogs up at the merge where southbound drivers from five divided lanes squeeze into three lanes. The initial design and engineering work is slated to run 18 months, and the project itself is pegged for a seven- to 10-year timetable.

Port Authority Budget Has $1.7 Billion in Capital Money

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's board of commissioners has approved a $4.5 billion 2005 spending plan that includes capital funds for several high-profile projects, including the World Trade Center transportation hub.

Other big projects that will receive initial or continued funding under the plan include the construction of a new terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens for Jet Blue Airways and an upgrade for the historic ferry slips at Hoboken terminal in New Jersey. The plan funds $1.7 billion overall in capital expenses, which includes the purchase of new rail cars and other equipment.

The budget also includes funds for: a feasibility study for building a rail link between JFK Airport and Lower Manhattan; modernizing Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark; continuing the dredging of New York harbor channels to 50 ft.; building a parking garage at JFK Airport for a new American Airlines terminal; and continuing the Goethals Bridge deck rehabilitation.

The board also approved the long-range parameters of the Newark Liberty Terminal B modernization project, assigning nearly $280 million to equip the facility to handle a projected rise in annual air passengers from 32 million today to 45 million in 2021. The initiative, which begins planning and design next year, calls for expanding and adding ticketing areas and passenger screening points, as well as building a new domestic baggage claim area.

Guidelines Issued for Water Utilities

An initiative funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has helped develop new voluntary infrastructure guidelines for water utilities. The interim guidelines aim to help drinking and wastewater utilities incorporate enhanced security measures into facility design.

A joint effort of the American Water Works Association, the Water Environment Federation, and the American Society of Civil Engineers developed three sets of documents encompassing the guidelines, available on their web sites, www.awwa.org, www.wef.org, and www.asce.org. The documents help designers, owners, and operators of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater facilities navigate upgrades to improve physical security and operational practices.