I recently traveled to Syracuse, NY, and Baltimore, MD to meet with economic development leaders and introduce The Center’s Contractors Accelerator for Climate Resilience. We’re looking at how the program can support contractors in markets where major investments are creating new opportunities.
The projects underway in these markets are very different, but many of our conversations came back to the same challenge: there is a lot of development ahead and ambitious goals for participation by small and diverse businesses, but not always enough contractors with the capacity to take on the work.
Outside Syracuse, Micron Technology plans to invest more than $100 billion over the next 20-plus years to build the largest semiconductor fabrication facility in the history of the United States, with a commitment to direct 30% of eligible construction spending to disadvantaged-owned firms. Also underway in Syracuse is the $2.1 billion second phase of the I-81 Community Grid project. The massive infrastructure initiative aims to replace the aging Interstate 81 viaduct with a business loop and an integrated city street grid.
Baltimore is seeing its own wave of development. The Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild is expected to cost as much as $5.2 billion across four major contracts through 2030, with Disadvantaged Business Enterprise participation goals of more than 30% written into active contracts. The city is also pursuing waterfront redevelopment and the rehabilitation of thousands of vacant row homes to offer affordable homeownership opportunities.
In both markets, there is real interest in making sure smaller and diverse contractors are part of that growth. And what I’ve highlighted here is only a snapshot. There are many more projects underway and planned, creating years of construction opportunities ahead.
This is where the opportunity gets especially meaningful. Winning a $500,000 contract or a $2 million contract can change the trajectory of a small business. It can allow an owner to hire, acquire equipment, build bonding capacity, and qualify for larger projects. Ultimately, its about creating an asset that generates wealth for the owner, their family, and the community.
That’s why preparing local contractors to compete for these opportunities matters.
One thing we heard often was that there are already accelerator programs in these markets. People wanted to know what makes ours different. For me, the answer comes down to what happens after the training.
Contractors need strong business fundamentals, but preparation is only part of what it takes to win work. Through the Accelerator, we help contractors find the right opportunities, write strong bids, compete for contracts, and win them. That includes one-on-one support with financial readiness, bonding, access to capital, and identifying and pursuing work that fits their businesses.
We know this approach works. We’ve already helped contractors secure $36 million in contracts, and we want to help many more businesses compete for and win the opportunities coming to their communities.
I came home encouraged by these conversations. We met leaders in both markets who see the need and are interested in working with us. As we enter new markets, those local relationships will be critical. We need partners who understand their region, can help us reach the right contractors, and can open doors to the institutions and projects shaping their local economy.
And the work has to start now, before the contracts are already on the street.
August 27, 2026