The Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnerships Authority announced last week that the New Beginnings Juvenile Facility P3 Project, also known as "Nuevo Comienzo," will not proceed to the Request for Proposals stage.

This decision was made after the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation asked the P3 Authority to halt the project first proposed by the Luis Fortuño administration 18 months ago.

Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation conducted a review and analysis of the project, concluding it would not be necessary after adopting a new public policy with respect to the maximum size of its correctional facilities for juvenile offenders. Compliance with the consent decree does not require the construction of the project, the P3 Authority said in a statement issued last week.

In May 2012, the P3 Authority announced that the project had drawn 11 proposals from local and international interested consortiums. The government had shortlisted 4 consortia:

• Alianza Renacer Consortium;
• Balfour Beatty Capital, Inc.;
• Plenary Properties Puerto Rico (P3R);
• NBC - Yauco, LLC;

The P3 Authority said in a statement:

"The Authority reiterates that this administration is committed to the delivery of new infrastructure projects using public-private partnerships. The Authority has recently awarded contracts for financial advisory services for two correctional facilities and for the Caguas commuter rail project and expects to engage other advisory services in the near future."