Announcements
Harris County, Texas, acting as the representative for a seven-county coalition of Houston region counties, invites all current and potential participants in the Public Private Partnership (P3) Industry to an Industry Forum on the Grand Parkway Program to be held on July 21, 2009, in Houston, Texas.
Grand Parkway (SH 99) is an approximately 180-mile circumferential scenic highway traversing seven of the ten counties comprising the Greater Houston Region. The estimated capital cost of the Grand Parkway is in excess of $5 billion in 2009 dollars. The Grand Parkway Program envisions that the Parkway will be implemented in segments, that newly constructed segments will be tolled, and that a P3 delivery structure will be utilized. Additional information regarding the Grand Parkway Program is provided at www.grandparkwayprogram.com.
The 10-county Greater Houston Region is the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the United States with a 2008 population of 5.7 million and is among the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country. The Grand Parkway Program is being developed to provide improved mobility and quality of life for the citizens of the region by supporting continued regional economic development and employment opportunities.
The Industry Forum will be held on July 21, 2009, from 9:00 am to no later than 5:00 pm at the JW Marriott Hotel Houston, located at 5150 Westheimer, Houston, Texas, 77056. Participants are requested to register in advance online at www.grandparkwayprogram.com.
All interested parties are invited to attend the Forum including Master Developers/Concessionaires; financial institutions, infrastructure investment funds and pension funds; contractors; engineering firms and other professional service providers involved in the design and operation of tolled highway facilities; organizations involved in operating and maintaining tolled highway facilities including their associated electronic toll collection systems; financial advisors; and legal advisors. The agenda for the forum will include descriptions of the Grand Parkway, the organization of the public sector partner, the envisioned P3 Grand Parkway Program delivery structure, and the opportunities it will provide for interested parties, and the Program schedule. Ample opportunities will be provided for participants to both comment on and ask questions regarding the Program.
One-on-one confidential meetings will be held on July 22 through 24, 2009, with parties who have the interest, qualifications, and proven experience to serve as the Master Developer/Concessionaire for the Program. These meetings will afford an opportunity for both parties to develop an enhanced understanding of mutual expectations and will have a maximum duration of two hours. To facilitate discussions, it is requested that no more than seven representatives of each Master Developer team participate in these one-on-one meetings.
The Master Developer will be the private sector Grand Parkway Program development partner with the public sector. It will be responsible for organizing a financial vehicle to deliver the initial and subsequent program segment(s) and will partner with the public sector partner to develop the overall Grand Parkway Program implementation schedule. To be considered, the Master Developer will be expected to demonstrate the organizational and financial resources – as well as a proven record of success – in the P3 implementation of projects and programs comparable to the Grand Parkway Program. Organizations who do not wish to serve as Master Developer will have other opportunities to participate in the Grand Parkway Program, but will not be afforded an opportunity for a one-on-one meeting. These opportunities include:
- Providing engineering, survey, planning, and landscape architecture services to the Grand Parkway Management Team;
- Serving as a member of the design build contractor team(s) for the construction of specific segments; or
- Serving as a lender to the private sector entity created by the Master Developer for specific segments.
As appropriate, such organizations are welcome to associate with a Master Developer and to join their Master Developer partner in a one-on-one meeting.
To register for the Industry Forum or join the Program mailing list, please click here.
For more information regarding the Industry Forum and/or to schedule a one-on-one meeting, please contact Janelle Gbur at Janelle.Gbur@grandparkwayprogram.com or 713.267.2943.
