SMARTBRIEFRESEARCHMEDIA SMARTBRIEF Subscribe here for free Top Story Empire Outlets opens to mark a city first May 15, 2019 New York City's first outlet mall had its grand opening Wednesday. Staten Island's Empire Outlets is the culmination of seven years of work and will eventually have a 1,250-parking garage, 100 shops and a 200-room hotel. The Commercial Observer (New York City) (5/15) VIEW ARTICLE Project Focus Crowning setbacks underway for One Vanderbilt May 15, 2019 Crews have started construction on visually distinguishing setbacks for the supertall One Vanderbilt office building. The 77-story Midtown East tower will eventually be topped with a spire and contain close to 1.75 million square feet of space. New York YIMBY (5/13) VIEW ARTICLE Project Focus NYC picks top 5 designs for buildings on small lots May 15, 2019 Anawan/101 + Kane AUD; Michael Sorkin Studio; OBJ; Only If Architecture PLLC; and Palette Architecture are the winners of a Department of Housing Preservation and Development competition seeking ideas on how to build affordable housing on small city-owned lots. New York City will work with the top five design teams to determine which ideas work the best with specific pieces of city property. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (5/13) VIEW ARTICLE Project Focus Plans for Industry City rezoning worries residents May 15, 2019 Retail establishments, academic space and two hotels planned in a rezoning of Sunset Park's Industry City will transform the character of the area. That worries some non-property-owning residents who fear they will be priced out. Brooklyn Daily Eagle (N.Y.) (5/9) VIEW ARTICLE Innovation & Technology Virtual reality company integrates with BIM May 15, 2019 Virtual reality company InsiteVR has integrated its immersive modeling software with Autodesk's BIM 360. The move is part of Autodesk's effort to forge partnerships with other technology companies. Construction Dive (5/8) VIEW ARTICLE Innovation & Technology Experts share benefits of effective BIM integration May 15, 2019 Industry experts at the AEC BuildTech conference in Illinois shared their insights regarding the best ways to integrate building information modeling technology into construction projects. Steve Jones of Dodge Data & Analytics pointed to a 61% schedule adherence improvement and a 39% reduction in project cost when BIM is integrated into the digital workflow. Engineering News-Record (5/8) VIEW ARTICLE Policy Watch Construction leaders praise safety laws May 15, 2019 New local laws that require training and on-site safety orientations won praise from construction leaders. Panel members at the Commercial Observer's Safety Construction Forum said the measures promote diligent planning and should lead to fewer incidents. The Commercial Observer (New York City) (5/9) VIEW ARTICLE Policy Watch Study: NIMBYism is biggest impediment to apartment construction May 15, 2019 Housing may be a local issue, but nationwide NIMBYism is the foremost barrier to construction of more multifamily apartments, according to a new study by the National Apartment Association. With the country needing 4.6 million apartments to meet projected demand by 2030, the NAA is calling for more cooperation by all local stakeholders and officials to seek solutions. HousingWire (5/10) VIEW ARTICLE Policy Watch Congressional members debate infrastructure funding May 15, 2019 Members of Congress are starting to publicly state their positions on funding an infrastructure package, and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., supports raising the federal gas tax. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., wants to see more of a focus on a user-based fee, and Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., does not support the expanded use of public-private partnerships. Transport Topics (5/9) VIEW ARTICLE CCA Metro News Spotlight on Union Carpenters and MWBE Contractors May 15, 2019 Infinity Contracting is a union MWBE affiliated with the NYC District Council of Carpenters and the Building Contractors Association. Learn more about its work on this DASNY PLA project at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice with 100% union labor. VIEW ARTICLE CCA Metro News New MBE/WBE/DBE Directory May 15, 2019 Visit our new and improved searchable MBE/WBE/DBE directory of union carpentry contractors in the New York City metropolitan area. This new directory provides you with the certifications from New York City, New York State, and the New York State Unified Certification Program for our signatory MBEs/WBEs/DBEs. Each listing also provides links to their website (if available) and their association affiliation so you know which contractors can accommodate your needs -- it's all in one place. VIEW ARTICLE Top Story Study: NYC metro area leads US in retail construction May 8, 2019 The value of retail construction underway in New York City and its adjacent suburbs rose to $1.3 billion last year -- the highest among metro areas in the US, according to a new study by New York Building Congress. Retail construction made up $4.7 billion of the city's $196 billion in total construction starts from 2015 to 2018. Construction Dive (5/6) VIEW ARTICLE VIEW SMARTBRIEF ARCHIVES 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 - 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 ICSC New York Deal Making Expo at the Javits Center The ICSC New York Deal Making Expo is the largest retail real estate event on the East Coast, welcoming over 10,000 attendees and 530 vendors to the three-day event! See how union carpenters from the New York City District Council of Carpenters and union contractors played a critical role in bringing the expo to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. WATCH THE VIDEO Media Dockbuilders, Pile Drivers, & Marine Divers Above ground, under ground, and even under water, union dockbuilders, pile drivers, marine divers, and the contractors that employ them bring strong foundations to structures throughout New York’s skyline, infrastructure, and waterways. Check out this short video highlighting the union training and skills that are crucial to both a project’s success and the safety of workers. WATCH THE VIDEO 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 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 VIEW MEDIA ARCHIVES