The movement towards public-private partnerships (“P3”) as the wave of the
immediate future in public construction continues to gain momentum. Construction
Owners Association of America (“COAA”) is presenting a workshop on this topic on
February 10, 2012 at 10:00 am in Orlando. The site appears to be the Hilton
Hotel on International Drive, but I’ll forward definitive details as soon as
they are available.
The program will begin with a presentation from
the University of Florida about a sizeable P3 project they are undertaking just
east of campus on the site formerly occupied by Alachua General Hospital. Next
will be a presentation from a private developer out of San Diego with extensive
experience with P3 projects around the country to discuss how they have
selected, funded and administered P3 jobs. These two presentations alone, while
not constituting the entire program, will give great insight into the P3
opportunities we will soon face in Florida, from both the owner’s and
contractor’s perspective.
The program will then continue with a short lunch
presentation by me on the status of the pending P3 legislation, about which I
have previously blogged, as well as a summary of what that legislation would
provide. Next (subject to final confirmation) will be a presentation by George
Burgess, former Miami-Dade County Manager and current COO of Becker &
Poliakoff, on funding options for P3 jobs – where to find funds and creative
ways to come up with them. George was very involved in putting together P3 jobs
for Miami-Dade County, such as the current tunnel construction and the various
Metrorail stations. He sits with me on Becker & Poliakoff’s P3 team.
The workshop will close with a question and
answer session. Watch this blog for a copy of the agenda and registration form
in the near future. Catch the wave – P3s are the wave of the immediate future,
providing great opportunities for public owners, as well as private contractors,
subcontractors and developers. Learn about them now and start positioning
yourself to capitalize on them.
