The signs of a gradual recovery are beginning to surface for the region's design firms as private sector work—especially for the commercial, multifamily and higher education markets—increases. Design executives are hesitant to declare an all-out victory, however, because the overall economy remains sluggish and work is greatly dragging in the public sector, a situation that is expected to continue for a few years. Even so, executives say, more and more owners and developers are making inquiries and some are moving forward, albeit at a cautious pace.
The uptick is reflected in the ranking of the top 90 design firms that participated in ENR New York's survey this year. A majority of firms (51% of the total), racked up higher revenue in the tristate region in 2012 than in the prior year; 26% posted declines; and 23%, or 21 firms, were new participants