Kris Bauman has joined Sam Schwartz Engineering, New York, as executive vice president and chief operating officer. He has more than 30 years of experience in construction and real estate and was the former president of Bauman Co. in Newtown, Pa. Related Links: ENR New York Featured People Chris Ward, executive vice president for major projects at Dragados USA, has joined the New York Building Congress' board of directors, a coalition representing all facets of the city's design, construction and real estate industry. From 2008 to 2011, Ward served as executive director of the Port Authority of New York and

New York Less Troubled Waters: Gov. Cuomo has applied for federal funding to build a new bridge that would replace the 56-year-old Tappan Zee Bridge. The Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project moved closer to start-up last month as Gov. Andrew Cuomo formally initiated New York's application for funding under the federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) for the $5-billion-plus project. The governor, joined by other state and local officials, signed an Aug. 20th letter of intent notifying U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood that the state is seeking TIFIA funding.The move came after New York Metropolitan Transportation Council

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) members voted unanimously today, Aug. 20, to approve resolutions that allow for the planned Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project to progress to the next stage. "The federal process at the regional level is complete. The state can move forward with the project, which is now eligible [to seek funding under the] federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA)," says Lisa Daglian, NYMTC spokeswoman.The counci'’s vote follows Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Aug. 16 announcement that three Hudson Valley County executives on the council agreed to vote in support of the replacement bridge plan. The next

Riverkeeper, Ossining, N.Y., is crying foul over the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council's last-minute notice for a "crucial" vote today, Aug. 20, pertaining to the planned Tappan Zee Bridge project. The agency's rules require two weeks' notice for such meetings, and the NYMTC gave only three days, Riverkeeper says. The council is in session this morning to decide whether to adopt resolutions that reportedly would pave the way for the state to apply for federal loans to help fund the project. Cost estimates for the project range from $4.6 billion to $5.6 billion.NYMTC officials could not be reached for comment.A

JetBlue Airways, New York, says it will reschedule the groundbreaking ceremony for its new international arrivals building at John F. Kennedy International Airport's Terminal 5. The airline did not provide a new date or say why it would not keep to the originally scheduled Aug. 20th date. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officials approved the expansion project last June. Completion is set for early 2015.The new facility, dubbed T5i, will add 145,000 sq. ft. of space on three levels of the 635,000-sq.-ft. Terminal 5 site. The project includes dedicated gates for its international arrivals and a new

This has been a strong year for wind-power capacity increases, but some experts are worried about the industry's future. They point to increased industry layoffs and plant shutdowns as well as the impending expiration of the renewable energy production tax credit (PTC) as evidence that as early as next year the market may weaken. Photo Courtesy of Dennis Schroeder/NREL New Turn: Wind power capacity is up in the U.S. but some industry firms face layoffs. Even so, the U.S. ranked as one of the world's largest and fastest-growing wind markets last year, with wind power representing 32% of all new

The full New York City Council voted 44-1 in favor of New York University’s 30-year plan to expand in Greenwich Village. The June 25 vote follows a vote last week in which two council committees also approved the plan that would add 2 million sq ft to the university’s space. Rendering Courtesy of NYU The university's reduced expansion plan includes decreasing the proposed Mercer building from its original 11 stories down to 4 stories and reducing the Zipper building from approximately 1 million sq ft to 980,000 sq ft. Before gaining council approval, the planned project, known as NYU 2031,

The Queens Library in Elmhurst says it completed foundation work today, July 25, on its new $27.8-million library, which will be nearly triple the size of the library it replaces. The original structure was demolished earlier this year. While construction continues on the new library, a temporary building located at 51st Avenue and Broadway is providing library service. Rendering Courtesy of Marpillero Pollak Architects Bricks taken from the original library will be used in the new structure. Construction of the new three-story, 30,000-sq-ft structure began last March and is scheduled for completion in 2014. The library, designed by New York-based

Three months after Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer approved New York University’s reduced plan to expand by over 2 million sq ft in Greenwich Village, two key City Council committees voted overwhelmingly in favor of the plan on July 17. Council Member Margaret Chin and City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn also approved the university’s 30-year plan. Photo Courtesy of GVSHP GVSHP and NYU-FASP rally back in March calling for Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer to vote "no" on NYU's 30-year expansion plan. The university’s NYU 2031 plan goes to the full City Council for a vote on July 25.The

An old Queens-based power plant may get recharged with new and more efficient generating equipment if the state creates a request for proposals process, a move that could come as early as next year, according to developer NRG Energy, Princeton, N.J. Rendering Courtesy of NRG Energy The Astoria Repowering Project would increase onsite generation from 600 MW of power to 1,040 MW. “What we need is an offtake contract to purchase the power,” says David Gaier, a spokesman for NRG, which would fund the upgrade.Smart Power NY­—a coalition of business, labor, and environmental groups formed to advance a clean energy