Soon, you’ll see a lot more men and women in hard hats, getting to work to build parks, schools and other local projects.
Up to 44,000 jobs will be created by the state’s new two-year construction budget. Local construction projects in the 11th District total $46 million and include:
- $1.75 million for Sunset Neighborhood Park
- $654,000 for the Sea Mar Latino History and Cultural Center
- $2.8 million for local community college improvements and repairs
- $36.8 million in environmental work
New state funding is a piece of a bigger puzzle for what’s happening in the Sunset Neighborhood. Click here to learn more about the plan for that area.
Funding for local schools
Our local school districts also receive state funds to help pay for new schools. We’re specifically investing $200 million to build more K-3 classrooms to reduce class size as part of the McCleary court decision to fully fund our public schools.
Here’s what else the construction budget is doing with a total of $1.6 billion in education and higher education projects:
- $900 million for colleges and universities
- $626 million to build elementary, middle and high schools
- Funding for Skill Centers and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
Automotive Technologies Complex at Renton Technical College
Construction started in July on this project, which includes remodeling three shop buildings of 45,900 square feet and replacing a fourth building that covers 17,600 square feet.
The new facility is designed to be flexible and adaptable, with minimal impact to ongoing operations. The $20.4 million total project budget includes $18.4 million from the state Capital Budget, supplemented with $2 million of local college funds. Completion is scheduled for April 2017.
Pedestrian bridge at Riverview Park
I’m happy to report that the pedestrian bridge at Riverview Park in Renton is being replaced. The old bridge had supports that were vulnerable to flooding and debris from the river. The new bridge will be a single span and therefore immune to those problems.
Here’s a great story in The Renton Reporter about the project, funded under previous budgets.
New aerospace training center in Renton
Another example of progress is happening in Renton, where classes have started for the first time at the new Washington Manufacturing Advanced Training Institute.
Here are highlights about what the Puget Sound Regional Council wrote about this important project:
Located in Renton, the training institute is focused on meeting a critical industry need for mid-level and master workers who understand supply chain management and “lean” techniques and how to apply those concepts to the manufacturing line.
The program was created in partnership with industry, the Aerospace Futures Alliance, the City of Renton, advanced industry content experts, and with capital funding from the Legislature.
The new training center emerged from a regional initiative to boost aerospace manufacturing. Last June the region secured a designation by the federal government as a manufacturing community, providing priority status in competition for billions in federal grants.
A deeper look at new construction funding
For an interactive map of new construction projects in your district, click on this map:
