Walking past New York City construction sites may soon be a much more pleasant visual experience. Slide Show Images courtesy of urbanSHED International Design Competition Urban Umbrella design by Young Hwan Choi, with Andr�s Cort�s, AIA, and Sarrah Khan, PE, of Agencie Group. Related Links: Video: Shedding Inhibitions: Rethinking New York Sidewalk Protection Unhappy with the current appearance of sidewalk sheds – the uninviting scaffolds that surround the city’s construction sites to provide protection from falling debris – New York’s Department of Buildings partnered with the AIA, Alliance for Downtown New York, New York Building Congress, Illuminating Engineering Society New
Harkins Builders of Marriottsville, Md., received a big boost to its multi-family residential business recently, thanks to a mix of government stimulus and tax credits. Between Dec. 1, 2009 and Jan. 15, 2010, the company saw loan closings and subsequent construction starts on six projects in the Mid-Atlantic. Harkins officials point to the use of federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits, the Tax Credit Assistance Program and Section 1602 Exchange funds, which are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Many of the deals closed in order to meet end-of-the-year deadlines, according Harkins officials. Using a combination
Boston-based Suffolk Construction is looking to firm its footing in the Mid-Atlantic States with the acquisition of The Dietze Construction Group of Ashburn, Va. Suffolk, which opened its Mid-Atlantic Division in 2007, aims to leverage Dietze’s experience managing construction of secure government facilities, which is a sector that has remained strong through the recession especially around the nation’s capital. Recent Dietze projects include the one million square-foot interior construction of the Securities and Exchange Commission headquarters. Other Dietze projects currently under construction include a new 100,000 square-foot clubhouse for the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va.; design-build construction of a
The GCA of New York Holds Conference for Disadvantaged, Minority- and Women-Owned Firms January 2010 Also, LEED Gold-certified affordable housing complex opens. The General Contractors Association of New York held a networking conference in a Midtown hotel for disadvantaged, minority and women owned business enterprises that specialize in the heavy construction industry, allowing them to build relationships with public works general contractors and public agencies. Pictured from left are: Joe Argette, President of Queens Village based JMA Concrete Construction, Denise Richardson, General Manager of the General Contractors Association of New York, Michael Jones-Bey, Executive Director of the Empire State Development Division
The New York City Capital Resource Corporation recently approved $2.2 million in Recovery Zone Facility Bonds to assist in the development of a cultural and arts center at the Kalahari Condominium in Central Harlem. Photo courtesy of the New York City Economic Development Corp Dedicated to the African and Hispanic cultural heritage of the residents, the approximately $9.6 million, 18,000-sq-ft MIST at the Kalahari cultural center will consist of an African/Latino fusion restaurant, a conference and performance area, three screening rooms, and film and digital media studios for training students to participate in the post-production film industry. The cultural center
The number of fatal construction-related accidents in New York City decreased in 2009 by 84 percent over the previous year, city officials have reported. Three fatalities were reported in 2009 compared to 19 in 2008, 12 in 2007 and 18 in 2006, according to the New York City Department of Buildings. Though DOB reports show that permits issued for major construction decreased 33 percent in 2009, fatal construction-related accidents decreased by a far greater margin thanks to the department’s expanded enforcement powers, increased oversight of high-risk construction operations and a slew of new safety awareness programs and initiatives. “We have
The New York City Economic Development Corporation recently announced that it has received 29 responses to its Request for Qualifications for groups interested in redeveloping the 62-acre Willets Point District in Queens, New York. The responses came from a variety of commercial, residential and mixed-use developers from across the United States. From the 29 responses, NYCEDC will develop a short list to receive a future Request for Proposals. RFQ respondents will first be evaluated based on their experience in developing similar large-scale projects and other criteria to determine eligibility to receive the RFP. “The quantity and quality of these responses
The $1.5 billion residential conversion of Brooklyn�s Domino Sugar refinery has reached another milestone as it now enters the formal public review process on the strength of a recent presentation to the New York City Planning Commission. Renderings courtesy of Linden Alschuler & Kaplan, Inc. Renderings courtesy of Linden Alschuler & Kaplan, Inc. The Department of City Planning has now certified that the developer’s Land Use Review Application is complete and ready for public review. The 2,200-unit New Domino complex will create 660 units of affordable housing and more than four acres of public open space with a broad riverfront
The Newark and Suburban Architects section of the New Jersey chapter of the American Institute of Architects has selected 21 finalists in its design competition for a proposed Newark Visitors Center. Photo: Beckerman PR Newark-born architect Richard Meier (left) and Alok Saksena, creator and director of the Newark Visitors Center Design Competition at the recent all-day judging for the competition, at which 21 finalists were selected. The finalists were chosen from nearly 200 entries submitted by architects from 31 countries and selected during an all day deliberation session by an eight-member jury consisting of representatives of local architecture and construction
NEW HIRES Jennifer Sze has been hired by Israel Berger & Associates, LLC to work in the New Construction Group. Thomas J. Curran has been hired as the newest partner of Peckar & Abramson, P.C., a construction law firm, in their New York office. David Monahan has joined Savills, an international real estate advisor based in New York, as senior vice president Thomas P. Nolan has joined The RADCO Companies, a national real estate development firm based in Atlanta, Georgia as director of new business development. Jose Luis Crespo has joined Virginia based Power Distribution, Inc. as vice president of
RSS