AIA Newark & Suburban Architects, a section of AIA New Jersey and a Chapter and Region of the American Institute of Architects recently held its 17th annual design competition in which awards were given to the best architectural work from architects throughout the northern New Jersey area. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" Honorable mentions were given to Solutions for Architecture of Newark for Hayes Park East-Community Center in Newark; Philip Kennedy-Grant Architecture of Bernardsville, N.J. for its design of a modern kitchen for a residence and for River House in Flanders, N.J.; Julia Buteux Studio of Madison, N.J. for

The New York City Department of Transportation has announced the start of a five-month study to determine the feasibility of using streetcars to connect the growing neighborhood of Red Hook which currently only has one local bus line with Downtown Brooklyn and its surrounding areas. The study is part of the DOT’s effort to find long term, sustainable solutions to the city’s transportation needs and is part of Mayor Bloomberg’s 2009 campaign plan to improve mass transit. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" The study is being funded through a Federal Transit Administration grant secured by United States Representative Nydia

The 2,300-sq-ft Louis Vuitton store located in Saks on Fifth Avenue in New York is currently being renovated by J. Tucci Construction of Bayside, New York and is scheduled to re-open this November. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" The store which was constructed in 2003 is being renovated because of its low ceilings due to an old elevator system with a complex steel infrastructure. J. Tucci has set up a temporary store for Louis Vuitton to operate in while removing the old elevator system and adding in a new dumbwaiter as well as removing the concrete wall behind the

The New York City Economic Development Corporation and the Department of Transportation have released a master plan for the redesign of Fordham Plaza in the Bronx. Designed by WXY architecture + urban design of New York, the plan seeks to turn Fordham Plaza into a pedestrian-friendly public space and world class transit hub by improving traffic circulation, transit access, expanding space for programming and increasing retail activity. Rendering Courtesy Of NYCEDC The DOT and the NYCEDC’s master plan for the redesign of Fordham Plaza is to transform the plaza into a pedestrian and environment friendly, world class transit hub. div

Ground has broken on a $12 million redevelopment of WNYC Transmitter Park along the East River in Brooklyn. Construction on the project which includes a pier at the end of Kent Street consisting of a concrete platform connected by aluminum bridges, a park, and waterfront esplanade is expected to be completed in early 2012. Rendering Courtesy Of NYCEDC The $12 million Transmitter Park will include a pier, a water esplanade and a park and is scheduled to be completed by early 2012. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" “Across all five boroughs, we’re working to bring our waterfront back to

The New York City Department of Buildings has announced the eight finalists for the Urbancanvas Design Competition, a competition that was first launched back in June in an attempt to decorate the city’s construction sites. Participants were asked to create artwork that could be installed on fences, sheds, and other support systems such as scaffolds and cocoons while complementing the city’s varied streetscapes and promoting safety. Photo Courtesy Jiyoun Lee-Lodge These are two (top- “Bang” by Jiyoun Lee-Lodge & bottom- “...of Special Concern” by Chris Shelley) of the eight finalists chosen from over 100 design submissions for the Urbancanvas Design

Ground has broken on the renovation of the 8-acre Schmul Park in Travis, Staten Island, the second major project in the development of the 2,200-acre Freshkills Park. The $6.5 million Schmul Park, named for the Schmul Family who donated a piece of their farm to the city in 1939 will include a new playground with a spray shower, handball and basketball courts, a lawn area, native plantings and a new green comfort station that features a rain garden. Schmul Park will serve as a gateway into Freshkills Park, the largest landfill-to-park project in the country. Upon its completion, Freshkills Park

Jeffrey J. Zogg, a leader of New York state general contractors for more than two decades and an activist in the national Associated General Contractors organization, died Oct. 24 in Delmar, N.Y., after a long battle with sarcoma, a form of cancer. Zogg served in that role since 2008, when the chapter was formed following the merger of the General Building Contractors of New York State (GBC) and AGC�s New York State Chapter, which represented heavy and highway construction firms. The combined chapter is now AGC�s sixth largest U.S. chapter. ZOGG He previously served as executive director of the building

Three former New York City project officials indicted in connection with a fatal 2007 fire at a vacant Ground Zero high-rise being cleaned of asbestos and demolished will stand trial on manslaughter and other charges on Jan. 18. A New York state supreme court judge rejected on Oct. 22 motions to dismiss charges. The fire killed two firefighters. Photo: AP August 2007 fire at former World Trade Center site killed two firefighters. Now facing trial related to the Deutsche Bank event are Jeffrey Melofchik, former lead project-safety manager and executive at Bovis Lend Lease; Mitchel Alvo, abatement director for The

The Christie Administration along with the state of New Jersey and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority have issued $30 million in federally subsidized, low-interest bonds to help finance construction of new classrooms and other needed facilities within the state�s charter schools. “For too long, charter schools have been denied equitable resources to finance construction projects needed to grow, expand and serve even more children,” said Acting Education Commissioner Rochelle Hendricks. “Other public schools have always been able to borrow money at a low interest rate to help them meet their facilities needs. Today, we begin to level the playing