On the Brooklyn waterfront where war ships were made a century ago, a developer has taken a three-story, 9,400-sq-ft brick Italianate structure and joined it to a new glass-and-steel, 23,000-sq-ft wing to function as a combination cultural facility and museum.
Work remained scarce last year as the economic recovery continued its slow pace, but that did not stop the contenders for this year's Best Projects competition from putting their best work forward.
With its 41-year-old, weather-scarred facade, Long Island's Long Beach High School sits on what some might call a vacation hamlet. Located on a barrier island off the south shore of Long Island, the school is only 30 ft from the water, offering beautiful views as well as challenges for the crew assigned to the $29-million expansion and renovation project. Related Links: School Bond Referendums Still a Difficult Subject for Taxpayers More ENR New York Projects The three-story high school, the only one in the Long Beach City School District (LBCSD), has never had any significant renovations, says Robert Firneis, vice
Long Beach High School's $29-million renovation and expansion project was made possible thanks to the school district's ability to get voter approval of a $92.7-million bond referendum in 2009. But getting school bond approval during the recession was—and still is—a difficult feat for most schools, finance and construction industry experts say. Photo by Tom Sibley/Wilk Marketing communications Capital Project: Long Beach High School's renovation and expansion project is part of the school district's $98.9-million preservation plan. Rendering Courtesy of Riverhead Central School District Getting the Vote: It took two tries, but the Riverhead Central School District was able to get
The Hudson River waterfront in Jersey City, N.J., has undergone a renaissance—especially in the last decade with the completion of such major structures as the Goldman Sachs tower at 30 Hudson Street. Dubbed "Wall Street West" due to the number of financial institutions that line the river across from lower Manhattan, the area was expected to help lead the way for major redevelopment in the rest of the city. While this has not happened to the degree expected, locals say there are signs that development might be starting to spread. Related Links: ENR New York More ENR New York Projects
From the outside, Princeton Theological Seminary's new library, under construction in Princeton, N.J., looks a lot like other scholarly research libraries on stately campuses. But looks in this case are deceiving. The new structure, when completed next year, will play a significant role in preserving one of the world's largest and oldest collections of theological books—second only to the Vatican Library in Rome. Related Links: ENR New York Digging Deeper Project Stories "People come from all over the world to see these priceless collections," says German Martinez Jr., PTS director of facilities and construction. Martinez oversees construction of the 94,000-sq-ft
Few of the 135,000 motorists crossing the Moses Wheeler bridge over Connecticut's Housatonic River in 2014 are expected to notice that the bridge is brand new. Few will likely realize that the Connecticut Dept. of Transportation (ConnDOT) and its project team on the 3,000-ft-long span between Stratford and Milford are on track to finish the bridge three years ahead of the 2017 target. But even though drivers may not focus on those details, they will benefit from the $350-million project that replaces the existing 54-year-old span that has reached the end of its useful life. Related Links: ENR New York
Many contractors in the tristate region say that two factors will largely determine the industry's robustness in the year to come—the economy and the upcoming general election. They reason that until the economy gains momentum, owners and developers will not shake their wait-and-see attitudes; and, until the next Congress is elected, federal funding levels for agencies and programs will remain a mystery with many projects left in limbo. Even so, contractors in the tristate region say they expect next year to be similar to 2011 and 2012 in that work will be available, but the volume of projects will not
The 620,000-sq-ft Wellness Plaza in downtown New Brunswick, N.J., puts a new spin on the concept of mixed use. While it brings together commuter parking, shopping convenience and a decked-out fitness facility, the $105.1-million project also serves a larger purpose: It is a critical part of the effort to redevelop a former industrial hub. Related Links: ENR New York http://newyork.construction.com/new_york_construction_projects/ More ENR New York Projects Located beside a key rail station on the mainline tracks connecting New York to Philadelphia, the new public-private development required deep coordination for site planning and construction staging. That legwork allowed the project team to