New York Building Congress

Our Architect's Leadership Council was fortunate to welcome NYC Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu today to discuss "Reimagining Public Space." She walked the group through ongoing and upcoming projects like Broadway Vision, The Arches, and Future of Fifth, and of course, everybody's favorite initiative, Get Sheds Down! We thank her for her time and willingness to share her thoughts around how to build a better, more accessible and equitable city for all. And thanks to our hosts at Perkins Eastman.

Check out our latest member news in the October 28 edition of Building Beat! 🏗️ https://lnkd.in/d8a78vub

We're delighted and proud to share our latest op-ed today in amNewYork from President & CEO Carlo Scissura, Esq: a celebration of National Immigrants Day. In it, we remember those who built New York, and those who continue to make it grow and thrive today. We also shine a light on an important program for our industry, for which our Building Foundation provides financial support: The Retraining Program for Immigrant Engineers (RPIE) initiative at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, which plays a big role in supporting a new generation of New Yorkers who can contribute to our city’s progress, if only they get the chance. For over three decades, the free program has helped immigrant, refugee and asylee engineers – 30% of whom already have advanced degrees from other nations – enter the workforce, assisting some 500 participants every year with their professional development. "For the millions of immigrants who’ve passed through Ellis Island, Lady Liberty has embodied the promise of not just a refuge but a place where anybody can build a better life for themselves and those who follow in their footsteps, Scissura writes. "In our current socio-political climate, she also stands for something incredibly topical: She represents what we can build together." Read the full op-ed here: https://lnkd.in/dHhKMUBv And check out the RPIE program here: https://lnkd.in/dqFd36mc

Today, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents, community leaders, and partners gathered at Lillian Wald Houses on the Lower East Side to celebrate a major step forward in public space transformation with the "Opening the Edge" project. Supported by the New York Building Foundation, the charitable arm of the New York Building Congress, this resident-led initiative will turn a previously underutilized space into a vibrant, accessible community hub, showcasing the impact of thoughtful, community-driven design. The Building Foundation is proud to support this extraordinary project as a model for how New Yorkers can reimagine and activate public spaces. In partnership with Design Trust for Public Space, which provided vital expertise in fostering inclusive, collaborative design, this project emphasizes the importance of resident involvement in shaping the spaces they call home. "Access to public space is key to fostering communities, and we're proud to support a project that will do just that through its thoughtful, community-led design," said our President & CEO Carlo Scissura, Esq.

Who better to run New York City Transit than someone who has seen it all in their 27-year Metropolitan Transportation Authority career and represents the third generation of their family to work there? We are thrilled to welcome Demetrius Crichlow to the role of NYCT President and assure him that our organization and our 500+ members have his back and are ready to move our city forward. There is much to do, and it all starts with securing full funding for the MTA. We look forward to standing side by side with Demetrius and NYCT in that effort, and for years to come in building a more equitable and accessible transit future for New Yorkers.

That's a wrap on another fantastic Construction Industry Breakfast with a packed house and so much learned. Our President & CEO Carlo Scissura walked attendees through our new 2024-2026 Construction Outlook Report (link below). It shows a housing boom this year, spending up, and jobs growing -- albeit slower than hoped. "The news is good.. not great… but could be much worse!," Scissura said. Read the full report below to see exactly what he means. Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner walked us through how the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act funding has allowed them to expand and improve service. We're excited by what's to come, and our members will be right alongside them helping build out a better transit future for the U.S. We also heard from new First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer on governing effectively and efficiently, continuing to invest in NYC's future and supporting 300,000 city employees. It was a busy morning! We also want to give a big thanks to our co-hosts, Batska Network, Halmar International, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 15, Railroad Construction Company, Inc., Skanska, STV and of course our Chair, Gregory Kelly. https://lnkd.in/dRW7CZEk

It was a terrific opportunity for our members to hear directly from MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer at our Transportation & Infrastructure Committee this morning. He talked about the $1.5 trillion in assets the MTA holds, walked us through the proposed 2025-29 Capital Plan, and the 57,000 jobs and $6.2 billion in spending the current capital plan generated statewide. Many thanks to HNTB for sponsoring, and to co-chairs Kevin R. Collins of HNTB & Omar Khan of WSP.

Check out our latest member news in the October 21 edition of Building Beat! 🏗️ https://lnkd.in/d2vCmzzN

It's the last chance to secure your tickets to the Construction Industry Breakfast with Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner on October 24! Act now here: https://lnkd.in/dUvFd-Rc

We've got two more work-a-versaries to celebrate! Our Manager of Operations Sandra Purpura is marking three years at the Building Congress this month, while our Manager of Design & Marketing Erik Rodriguez marks his second anniversary here. Please join us in congratulating Sandra & Erik and thanking them for everything they do for us! #workaversary #workanniversary #workmilestone