Kentucky first-term Gov. Matt Bevin’s recently announced capital budget proposal is a “something-for-everyone,” wide-ranging list of potential government contracting opportunities throughout the state. Earlier this week, Bevin presented his $21 billion state budget proposal to the Kentucky legislature. Included were capital budget recommendations for projects ranging from bricks and mortar construction to technology upgrades, HVAC replacements and more.
Photo by Gage Skidmore licensed under CC BY 2.0.
The governor’s proposal will have to pass muster in both the House and Senate after going through the committee process. It is interesting to note that, according to the House Speaker, about 97 percent of budget recommendations by previous governors have been approved by the legislature.
Some of the projects in Bevin’s capital budget recommendations include:
- A $34 million Kentucky River Authority project to reconstruct a dam between Madison and Clark counties and renovate the navigation lock;
- Funding totaling $60 million in General Fund-supported bonds for the replacement of the Lexington Convention Center in downtown Lexington;
- An HVAC project of $4.5 million to replace variable air volume boxes and controllers to tie into the automation system in the CHR Building in Frankfort;
- Infrastructure upgrades totaling $3 million for enterprise infrastructure through the Commonwealth Office of Technology that includes hardware and software associated with servers, mainframes, switches, storage and firewalls.
- A $12.3 million project to repair the roofs at the Kentucky Exposition Center; and
- The $4.8 million first phase of an electrical upgrade for the Western State Hospital.
State-supported institutions of higher education in Kentucky will also benefit if the governor’s capital budget is approved. A sampling of some of those campus projects includes:
- Eastern Kentucky University would receive $12 million to construct a new Alumni and Welcome Center as well as funding for a $35 million dining facility;
- Funding of $4.58 million would go toward a project to expand the emergency notification system at Kentucky State University to include a campus-wide public address system and sirens and associated hardware;
- Campus fire and security systems on the Morehead State University would receive $2.67 million in upgrades, including addition and expansion of audio and IP emergency alert systems and replacement and expansion of the campus video surveillance and electronic door access systems; and
- A $38 million project on the University of Kentucky campus would result in construction of a new 55,000-square-foot Alumni Center.
In addition, Bevin this week also unveiled his proposed $6 billion road and bridge spending plan for the next six years. Chief on the governor’s list of projects is the repair of the approximately 14,000 state bridges in Kentucky. View the complete spending plan here.
State capital projects mean contracting opportunities. Private-sector firms interested in any of these projects should keep a close eye on the budget process as the governor’s proposals are debated in the legislature. View a complete listing of the governor’s proposed capital budget projects here.