Hudson Yards Advocacy Revs Up

Construction industry supporters of plans to redevelop the Hudson Yards area of Manhattan have been active in recent months, including the first steps of the Hudson Yards Task Force. Among the group's anchor members are the Building Trades Employer's Association, the Building & Construction Trades Council, and the New York Building Congress.

The plan envisions an expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, the extension of the Metropolitan Transit Authority's 7 subway line, and the construction of a new stadium for the New York Jets and the city's bid for the 2012 Olympics. It would also entail millions of square feet of new office space, housing, and hotels.

The task force members took an active role in supporting rezoning proposals recently submitted by the Manhattan Borough President's office, which now go to the City Council for consideration. That rezoning, according to the task force, would allow the neighborhood to have 28 million square feet of office space, 24 acres of open space, and 12,600 new units of housing, including 2,130 affordable units. It would also allow the subway extension from Times Square, with stops at 42nd Street and 10th Avenue and at 34th Street and 11th Avenue, along with 1.5 million square feet of hotel space.

The task force is pushing for approval of the plan, contending that the redevelopment overall would support 250,000 construction jobs and result in more than 290,000 permanent jobs and $67 billion in tax revenues for the city and state over the next 30 years. It also contends build-out would be over the long term - an estimated 40 years - and that successful operation of the stadium, dubbed the New York Sports and Convention Center, would not be contingent on winning the Olympics. The current timetable calls for the subway line extension as the first step, starting as early as next spring but requiring state legislators and Gov. George Pataki to approve the MTA's capital plan.

Other associations in the task force include the Subcontractors Trade Association, the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter, and the Mechanical Contractors Association of New York, which join general contractors, construction managers, engineers, and architects and the Jets. The proposal details are on the city Department of Planning's Web site at www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/hyards/hymain.html. The task force Web site is at www.hudsonyardscoalition.com.

Building Industry Group Honors Lee

The New York State Builders Association has inducted R. Randy Lee to its Hall of Fame, a program sponsored by the group's Research and Education Foundation and the State of New York Mortgage Agency. Lee, an attorney, is principal of Leewood Real Estate Group and founding partner of Lee & Amtzis LLP.

The award honors Lee's four decades of contributions to the building industry, including 4,000 homes and apartments he built. He has gained broad experience as a low-rise developer and has been an advocate for affordable and workforce housing across the sate, according to the builders group. Lee has been a board member and advisor to the builders association for more than 20 years.

Park Trust Wins Archiving Award

The Hudson River Park Trust, a partnership between New York's state and city governments, has earned the 2004 Award for Excellence in local government archiving from the New York State Archives, according to a release.

The trust oversees design, construction, and operation of the five-mile Hudson River Park, which runs from Battery Park to 59th Street. The 550-acre park will include 13 public piers, a marine sanctuary, and upland parks.

The award recognizes the trust's efforts to archive thousands of historical documents using Constructware software in order to create an organized reference library. The trust's staff had inherited thousands of historical documents from the various city and state agencies that managed Hudson River waterfront development over the last 50 years.

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