Contractors, developers and designers face a new sort of project backlog across the New York region today: many hundreds of stalled sites that loom as a steep challenge to the industry. But while dormant sites stand as grim reminders of a weak economy, it is the jobs that are set to restart that are posing new problems. “I don't think we've ever seen the phenomenon at this scale,” says Richard Anderson, president of the New York Building Congress, of the high number of stalled sites.The 2008 market crash left a wave of project shutdowns in its wake, prompting the New
The New Jersey construction industry got an early Christmas present late last month: state funding for a program aimed at helping military veterans transition out of active duty into the building and construction trades. The $195,000 grant will be available under the state's Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development agency in partnership with the New Jersey Building and Construction Trades Council's chapter of the national Helmets to Hardhats program. The initiative will provide many veterans with jobs in the building trades, which has posted employment gains in six of the past seven months, the state says. But while industry executives
When the first visitors to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum enter the World Trade Center site this month, they will likely focus on the two reflecting pools at the heart of the plaza, defined by the names of the victims of the terrorist attacks. They are unlikely to miss the already towering 1 WTC structure standing on the northwest corner of the site, well on its way to becoming the nation's tallest building at 1,776 feet. But as much of their attention is drawn to the plaza and what used to be called the “Freedom Tower,” they might
When Turner Construction Co. introduced business information modeling (BIM) for building the new University Medical Center of Princeton, it immediately inspired a medical metaphor for the owner: brain imaging technology used by neurosurgeons. Barry Rabner, president and CEO of Princeton Healthcare System, the owner of the Plainsboro, N.J.-based medical center, compared BIM to how neurosurgeons inject blood vessels with dye and rotate images of the brain on an axis. “As the owner we wanted to keep costs as low as possible while maximizing usable space,” he says. “BIM helped reconcile those needs.”That was only the beginning of the collaboration process
Article toolbar The New jersey turnpike authority split its $2.3-billion Interchange 6 to 9 Widening Program into dozens of projects to help spread opportunities among design and construction firms during the economic downturn. In doing so, companies of all sizes secured work and the NJTA saved millions of dollars in its budget. Photo courtesy of Stokes Creative Group Collection of Culverts Crews from Ferreira Construction and Crisdel Group work on one of the two culvert extensions in Contract 503, Section 5. Now the NJTA and its build teams face the daunting task of keeping one the country’s largest road-building projects
Article toolbar In a rare application for the New York City market, vibro-displacement technology has created a solid base upon which to build the $75-million Spring Creek School for the New York City School Construction Authority. Rendering courtesy of STV Limited Options Set on an uncompacted landfill dating to the 1960s, the site could not support the four-story, 154,000-sq-ft school’s loads with traditional techniques. Limited greenfield sites exist for new schools, but a former landfill in a growing Brooklyn residential area provided enough space for a structure comprising two middle schools and two high schools. However, the uncompacted landfill, dating
Article toolbar After New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) halted the $8.7-billion ARC tunnel to Manhattan in October, transportation firms were left with gaping holes in their plans. The Christie administration returned with a new five-year capital program for the New Jersey Dept. of Transportation that starts with a $3.5-billion fiscal 2012 spending plan effective next month. Although the plan puts a greater emphasis on new highway and bridge construction, firms expect stiff competition for upcoming bids, and critics warn that a future funding stream remains uncertain. Image courtesy of New Jersey Turnpike Authority Crews mobilizing With the ARC tunnel
Article toolbar More than a trend, green design is an institution in the tri-state area. Universities, hospitals and other institutional clients are the main drivers of local large-scale sustainable projects. Fortunately for design firms, many of those sectors held up relatively well during the downturn as private clients retreated from development plans or were held back by limited financing. Still, 2010 wasn't without struggles. This year's Top 20 Green Design Firms list, based on green project revenue earned in 2010, tallied a combined $254 million in fees from green projects—a more than 17% drop from the $307 million collected by
Article toolbar Design firms throughout the region continue to suffer the pains of the recession, but some see signs of relief on the horizon. As with 2009, designers saw a dribble of work flow from private-sector clients last year as financing remains elusive. But ongoing public-sector and institutional clients continue to buoy the market for many firms. Public money is drying up fast, but some executives at local design firms are hopeful that a surge in private work could keep revenue flowing. Rendering courtesy of Shop Architects Barclays Center Thornton Tomasetti is part of the design team on the $350-million
Article toolbar When HNTB Corp. started a study of the Lake Champlain Bridge for the New York State Dept. of Transportation in 2009, everyone involved expected a standard environmental and design engineering review. But an inspection of the 80-year-old bridge's piers showed the structure was in danger of crumbling. Image courtesy of HNTB Critical Connections HNTB is handling preliminary engineering on the $1-billion Goethals Bridge replacement between New Jersey and Staten Island. Related Links: Public Projects Helped Firms Stay Stable in 2010 Top Design Firms Main Ranking List Top Design Firms Rankings by Sector HNTB soon found itself in the
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