By the end of June, three U.S. cities plan to begin tracking tower cranes working on construction sites, and public officials there hope to expand the list to improve safety on a national level. Related Links: NYC Firms and Unions Will Cut Costs To Boost Work Guidelines Introduced for Coney Island Development Greener Empire State Building Could Be Model for Retrofits Aragon Construction Assembles Suites in Midtown Construction Underway on Claremont Corporate Center First Concrete Laid for 9/11 Memorial Plaza NYS AHC and SONYMA Approve Grants International Gem Tower Announced Plainfield Energy Plant Project Moves Forward Public Review on Rezoning

The boards of the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation and the State of New York Mortgage Agency approved $35.8 million in grants and insurance commitments to build and renovate 669 affordable housing units across New York State in order to improve housing stock and help get the economy moving again. Related Links: NYC to Share Crane Data With Philadelphia, Chicago NYC Firms and Unions Will Cut Costs To Boost Work Guidelines Introduced for Coney Island Development Greener Empire State Building Could Be Model for Retrofits Aragon Construction Assembles Suites in Midtown Construction Underway on Claremont Corporate Center First Concrete

Construction workers recently began laying the first concrete slab of the plaza at ground zero that will surround two reflecting pools at the 9/11 memorial. Related Links: NYC to Share Crane Data With Philadelphia, Chicago NYC Firms and Unions Will Cut Costs To Boost Work Guidelines Introduced for Coney Island Development Greener Empire State Building Could Be Model for Retrofits Aragon Construction Assembles Suites in Midtown Construction Underway on Claremont Corporate Center NYS AHC and SONYMA Approve Grants International Gem Tower Announced Plainfield Energy Plant Project Moves Forward Public Review on Rezoning Carroll Gardens Launched Kingsbridge Armory to be Redeveloped

During the economic recession, specialty contractors are being forced to do what they can to be more competitive and attractive to contractors. For some, that has meant upgrading skills, learning the latest about building information modeling and sustainability. For others, it has meant spreading out geographically. But all agree that surviving in this climate is about embracing change while still doggedly pursuing traditional jobs. Specialty contractors on large-scale jobs like the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. are learning valuable new technologies that will help them remain competitive in the future. Related Links: Top Specialty Contractors Top Specialty Contractors

A sustainable, mixed-use complex with an “iconic and distinctive” design gets underway in New Jersey’s capital city. The development of a 700,000-sq-ft LEED platinum Class A office tower currently in pre-construction in Trenton, N.J., is tied to the revitalization of the city, and the building’s green credentials are being achieved at a minimum of cost. The 25-story Vista Center in Trenton, N.J. will feature 12,000 sq ft of street-level retail, a 1,140-car garage and a public plaza. The 25-story Vista Center, being developed by Capital Real Estate Group of Trenton, will offer offices in increments of up to 200,000 sq

35 years after traffic was suspended, a former railroad bridge gets a major facelift. A nearly 7,000-ft-long railroad bridge is undergoing an extreme $35-million makeover over the Hudson River, thanks to hundreds of precast concrete panels, community zeal and the windblown determination of engineers and contractors. When completed by October, the revamped 121-year-old Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge may be the world�s longest pedestrian bridge at 6,768 ft, say officials. Photos courtesy of Bergman Associates Old railroad bridge will become a soaring walkway over the Hudson River when it opens later this year. The historic bridge’s 3,094-ft-long, 25-ft-wide main span consists of

The industry continues to try to wrap its arms around what BIM means for green building. While building information modeling is fostering collaboration and improving efficiencies in sustainable design and construction, most experts across the A/E/C industry say it’s still a work in progress. Interoperability and process challenges must be resolved, many say, before BIM can achieve its full promise to help deliver healthy, resource-efficient facilities with reduced carbon footprints. Photo: Oliver Schaper, Gensler The Revit model for the Beacon Institute in Beacon, N.Y. was used for daylighting analysis. The project is reusing and expanding an existing 19th Century masonry

Damaged during the attacks of Sept. 11, the demolition of Borough of Manhattan Community College building begins. Fiterman Hall is finally coming down, and for the City University of New York and the Lower Manhattan community, the resulting hole in the ground will be a most welcome site. Photo courtesy Airtek Environmental Corporation At the completion of the decontamination process in late May 2009 only the slab, walls and steel structure of the building remained. Miles and Shirley Fiterman donated the 15-story, 375,000-sq-ft building at 30 W. Broadway to the Borough of Manhattan Community College in 1993. The circa 1959

Construction crews on the massive One World Trade Center site Wednesday reached a milestone by placing the largest steel column to date for the $3.1 billion tower in Lower Manhattan. The 60-ft, 70 ton beam will serve as one of 24 perimeter columns that surround the building’s core. Once placed, the columns will allow the initial floors of the tower – including the lobby – to be built out. Each of the 24 columns was manufactured at the ArcelorMittal plant in Luxembourg. The steel plates were shipped to North America and fabricated in shops in South Plainfield, N.J. and Terrebonne,

Construction crews on the massive One World Trade Center site Wednesday reached a milestone by placing the largest steel column to date for the $3.1 billion tower in Lower Manhattan. The 60-ft, 70 ton beam will serve as one of 24 perimeter columns that surround the building’s core. Once placed, the columns will allow the initial floors of the tower – including the lobby – to be built out. Each of the 24 columns was manufactured at the ArcelorMittal plant in Luxembourg. The steel plates were shipped to North America and fabricated in shops in South Plainfield, N.J. and Terrebonne,