SMARTBRIEFEVENTSRESEARCHMEDIA SMARTBRIEF Subscribe here for free Top Story Board votes down Staten Island Bay Street rezoning January 16, 2019 Calling for more affordable housing and improved transportation, the Staten Island Community Board 1 rejected a rezoning proposal for a section of Bay Street on the borough's north shore. The board's vote of "no with conditions" included requirements for 20 acres of public open space, new schools and more ferry services. Curbed (1/11) VIEW ARTICLE Project Focus City to review Soho, Noho development restrictions January 16, 2019 A ground-floor retail tenancy requirement and Soho's artist-in-residence law will be up for debate as part of a half-year public engagement process focused on Soho and Noho. Some consider the often-unobserved restrictions to be outdated. 6sqft (New York City) (1/11) VIEW ARTICLE Project Focus City rejects selective upzoning for block of Coney Island's Surf Ave. January 16, 2019 A report that Winiarski Entities' request for upzoning a block of Coney Island's Surf Avenue would be revised to specify only the developer's own properties led to rejection by the City Planning Commission. The commission cited the report and noted the selective upzoning would go against city planning principles. The Brooklyn Paper (N.Y.) (1/15) VIEW ARTICLE Project Focus Developers await Gowanus rezoning plan January 16, 2019 Plans to rezone Brooklyn's once-industrial Gowanus neighborhood will be up for debate, with the city is expected to unveil its ideas soon. Developers are looking for specific details, including size restrictions for the low-rise area. Crain's New York Business (tiered subscription model) (1/11) VIEW ARTICLE Innovation & Technology Innovative materials aim to reduce construction's carbon footprint January 16, 2019 New materials are capable of helping reduce carbon production associated with construction, and Blaine Brownell provides a list of such products to watch in the coming year. Among them are recyclable PET plastic that can be used as a building material, a new plastic that absorbs carbon and a biological substance capable of assuming different material properties. Architect Magazine (1/2019) VIEW ARTICLE Innovation & Technology Technology can transform a construction company's finances January 16, 2019 A desire for increased mobility and other technological trends are creating opportunities for software companies to improve tools used in many parts of construction industry. In finance, new features can help increase employee retention and improve cash management. ForConstructionPros (1/14) VIEW ARTICLE Policy Watch Reliable federal infrastructure funding is vital, state official says January 16, 2019 A 2015 federal surface transportation bill is to expire next year, and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials President Carlos Braceras says Congress must locate a stable funding source. Braceras says Congress and President Donald Trump have talked about infrastructure, "but action has yet to be taken." Transport Topics (1/15) VIEW ARTICLE Policy Watch OSHA aims to prevent workplace falls January 16, 2019 The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is promoting its fall-safety videos and fall-prevention training guide amid continuing instances of injuries and deaths caused by falls at workplaces. OSHA's National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction is May 6 through 10. EHS Today (1/14) VIEW ARTICLE CCA Metro News Building New York's Best … Starts with Training January 16, 2019 Take a look at this short video introducing you to the New York City District Council of Carpenters Training Center, a state-of-the-art facility in Manhattan where union carpenters and contractors make the investments in training that allow thousands of our members to bring dependable quality and safety to projects throughout the New York City metropolitan area. VIEW ARTICLE CCA Metro News Meet the New York City District Council of Carpenters and its local unions January 16, 2019 It takes a great workforce to build the greatest city in the world. Union carpenters are that great workforce. Our members reflect the diversity of local communities and are equipped with the skills to perform work on every project according to the highest standards. In addition to building great projects, our members have equal access to the good wages, benefits and upward mobility that define middle-class opportunity. VIEW ARTICLE Top Story Overview: What's in store for NYC rezoning in 2019 January 9, 2019 Much has changed since the de Blasio administration announced plans in 2015 to rezone 15 neighborhoods to bolster affordable housing, including the addition of 100,000 units to the original goal of 200,000. Sadef Ali Kully looks at the state of play and what to expect in 2019. City Limits (New York City) (1/7) VIEW ARTICLE Project Focus Report: Multifamily filings jump 70% in 2018 January 9, 2019 Last year saw a 70% surge in the number of new-construction multifamily units filed with the Department of Buildings, according to New York YIMBY's annual pipeline report. The 32,580 multifamily unit total is up from 19,180 in 2017, with Manhattan experiencing a 139.4% increase in submitted units. New York YIMBY (1/7) VIEW ARTICLE VIEW SMARTBRIEF ARCHIVES EVENTS RESEARCH Research The Limited Record of the Associated Builders and Contractors in New York City Metropolitan Region Construction, MWBE Development, and Workforce Training According to a new report by Rochester Research Associates, the upstate-based Associated Builders and Contractors Empire State Chapter has few contractors, MWBEs and training programs in the NYC metro area, which calls into question its qualifications on policy concerns in NYC construction. With the need to address major issues such as mass transit infrastructure, MWBEs, and safety training, it is important that those with actual experience and expertise in NYC construction lead the discussion. VIEW ARTICLE Research New York’s Prevailing Wage Law - A cost-benefit analysis The Economic Policy Institute’s analysis of peer-reviewed research shows how prevailing wage laws (1) promote cost-effective quality and safety on taxpayer-funded construction projects, (2) stimulate economic growth and higher tax revenue, and (3) reduce poverty and reliance on public healthcare and assistance programs. VIEW ARTICLE Research Healthy City: Inside New York City's Hospital Building Boom New York City's large hospital systems are making major capital investments not only to modernize their facilities but to transform how they deliver healthcare. This New York Building Congress report details how they are an important factor in NYC's construction and overall economy. VIEW ARTICLE Research The Economic, Fiscal, and Social Effects of Ohio’s Prevailing Wage Law 76% of peer-reviewed economic research shows that prevailing wages do not increase public construction costs. Here is more research from Ohio that reaches the same conclusion. VIEW ARTICLE Research Union Construction workers diversify NYC union construction has become significantly more racially diverse in the past two decades. LEARN MORE MEDIA Media Building New York's Best - Architectural Woodwork and Cabinetry Take a look at this video that highlights how cabinetmakers and woodworkers of Local Union 2790 and contractors that employ them bring superior skill and artistry to commercial, residential, institutional and retail interiors. They fabricate and install both decorative and functional elements of design specifications including trim and molding, cabinetry, ceiling treatments, doors, windows, exposed columns and beams, displays, mantels, and staircases. WATCH THE VIDEO Media Building New York's Best - Hoisting and Scaffolding Take a look at this short video highlighting the contractors of the Hoisting and Scaffolding Trade Association – HASTA – and the Timbermen of Local Union 1556. Together, they build, erect and dismantle material and personnel hoists, scaffolding, sidewalk bridges and more on NYC’s most challenging construction projects. WATCH THE VIDEO Media LU 740 Millwrights at the New York Proton Therapy Center The New York City Proton Therapy Center will be the first and only specialized treatment facility in the state of New York. Learn how members of Millwright Local Union 740 are working with Bay Crane and Varian Medical Systems to go above and beyond in Building New York’s Best! WATCH THE VIDEO Media Building New York's Best - Resilient Floor Covering Union floor covering carpenters and contractors are trained to meet the specifications of your project and the flooring product’s manufacturer. Because every flooring project should be installed with Quality and Performance to Stand On. Union carpenters and contractors are Building New York’s Best! WATCH THE VIDEO Media Building New York's Best - Interior Systems, Wall & Ceiling carpenters and contractors Union carpenters performed 10 million hours of work last year for interior systems and wall-ceiling contractors in New York City, bringing the highest quality to new building interiors and renovations for commercial, residential and institutional projects. These skilled professionals engage in general carpentry, gypsum drywall, acoustical ceilings, framing, finish carpentry, furniture installation, and more. Union carpenters and contractors are Building New York’s Best! WATCH THE VIDEO Media Union Carpenters and Contractors Are Building New York’s Best Take a look at this short video highlighting union carpenters and contractors who are building the best in residential, institutional, commercial, transportation and infrastructure. Build with Quality. Build with Safety. Build with Confidence. WATCH THE VIDEO Media Building New York's Best - Reinforced Concrete Superstructures Take a look at this short video introducing you to Local Union 212 and their affiliated contractors who build concrete superstructures. In the last five years, they have completed more than 50 million square feet of cast in place reinforced concrete superstructures. Their intensive knowledge of formwork systems allows for the most cost-effective construction on the market. WATCH THE VIDEO Media Building New York's Best Trade Shows, Conventions and Exhibitions Take a look at this short video introducing you to union trade show carpenters and contractors. These skilled professionals erect prefabricated exhibits and build custom exhibits for trade shows at the Javits Center, area hotels and other venues. They engage in floor layout, pipe and drape work, carpeting, booth maintenance, and rigging of signs for exhibits. The Javits Center is the busiest convention center in the U.S. It hosts 175+ events a year and generates $2 billion of economic activity. Union trade show carpenters and contractors make it possible. WATCH THE VIDEO Media Building New York's Best - Millwright and Machinery Erectors Call on millwrights from Local Union 740 and their contractors to deliver precision and productivity to every job. Put the best millwrights in New York to work on your next project. WATCH THE VIDEO Media Building New York's Best - Transportation Infrastructure for the 21st Century Meet some of the union carpenters and contractors who are rebuilding the Kosciuszko Bridge and LaGuardia Airport. They have the training, skill, and experience to work safely and deliver the highest quality on projects bringing our transportation infrastructure into the 21st century. WATCH THE VIDEO Media Building New York's Best - Starts with Training The Carpenters Training Center is jointly sponsored by union carpenters and contractors to provide members with the training needed to bring the highest level of skill and safety to projects throughout the New York City metropolitan area. WATCH THE VIDEO