Home › Island News › Local News
Lehman team forges ahead for Alley lease
If you go:
What: The Urban Land Institute Southwest Florida and the Economic Development Council of Collier County host “The Leasing of Alligator Alley — How it May Impact Collier County”
Where: Hilton Naples, 5111 U.S. 41 N.
When: Friday — Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., program runs 8 to 10 a.m.
Cost: $50 for non-members, $40 for members, $20 for government members and students
STORY TOOLS
Tell us about it
- What would you add to this story? Tell us what we missed.
- Do you have photos from this event? Documents we need to see? Share with us.
- Upload photos & videos
- More ways to get your stuff online and in the paper.
RELATED STORIES
- Residents speak out about Alligator Alley toll increase, proposed lease
- POLL: Alley letters keep governor’s office busy
- Sen. Aronberg fights to block Alligator Alley lease
- Collier joins Broward in opposing Alley lease
- For whom the increase Alligator Alley tolls
- Alligator Alley lease proposal to be discussed Friday
- Collier considers suing state over possible Alley lease
- Urban Land Institute, Collier EDC to host Alligator Alley program
- Public meeting on proposed Alligator Alley lease slated for Aug. 25
- Officials tight-lipped on Alligator Alley lease process
Related Links
- Web: Read the entire 163-page draft agreement at www.alligator-alley.com
- WRITE TO CHARLIE: Tell the Governor your thoughts about the Alligator Alley plan
More Local News
- Collier County manager: Voluntary separations needed as revenues drop
- Ambulance driver at fault in accident with Sheriff’s Office
- Christmas Island Style Gala to celebrate Marco’s top community contributors
Share and Enjoy [?]
NAPLES — Not to be beaten back by the failure of its business partner, massive banking firm Lehman Brothers, one team looking to lease Alligator Alley is vowing to forge ahead.
GVI-Lehman Alligator Alley Access Partners was one of six teams approved in August to bid on the 50- to 75-year lease of the 78-mile toll road. Now, the remaining partners in that team are courting new banks to assume the 40 percent equity share in the deal, said Tony Garrastazu, a representative for Global Via Infrastructure.
His firm, the “GVI” in the team name, is based in Spain. Garrastazu manages the firm’s recently opened Miami office.
“We are definitely 100 percent still in the Alligator Alley (deal),” Garrastazu said. “We are working with a couple of U.S. partners. If that doesn’t work, we’ll take 100 percent of the equity ourselves.”
Garrastazu said he expected his firm to “have everything in place” by next week, when they would present the amended team to the Florida Department of Transportation for consideration.
Though the six bidding teams have already gone through the short-listing process, FDOT Communications Director Dick Kane said it is not too late for Global Via Infrastructure to change the chemistry of their team. However, the department would have to subject the new partners to the same set of standards used in August to evaluate the teams through a series of committees charged with analyzing, rating and ranking each partner.
According to the draft concession agreement released Aug. 26, the Global Via team has until mid-November to request any changes from FDOT.
Beginning Oct. 6, the department will be holding one-on-one meetings with each proposer. The purpose of those meetings, according to the state’s project Web site, will be to answer the proposers’ questions and to allow FDOT “to engage in fact-finding with the proposers.”
A new draft of the concession agreement is expected to be released following those meetings, possibly yielding more insight into details of the lease, including the toll rate structure and the revenue-sharing schedule over the life of the lease.
Comments
This site does not necessarily agree with comments posted below — responsibility lies with the relevant reader alone. Read our privacy policy & user agreement.
Post your comment
(Requires free registration.)