The Real Estate Board of New York has recently selected the recipients for its 2007 Most Ingenious Commercial Deal of the Year Awards.

The awards are given to select industry members that demonstrate the most ingenuity, creativity and professional skill, said REBNY.

“The Most Ingenious Deals of the Year awards are the most coveted and celebrated distinctions REBNY confers on its members. The increasing number of submissions each year shows how the competition has grown in the 64 years we’ve been presenting these honors,” said Steven Spinola, REBNY president. REBNY considered 39 real estate brokers and their 21 transactions for 2007.

The first place Henry Hart Rice Award was presented to Mary Ann Tighe and Gregory Tosko of CB Richard Ellis for the leasing transaction “Adding Color to Grey: The Winding Road to Grey Group’s 370,000 square foot Anchor Lease at 200 Fifth Ave.”

The second place Robert T. Lawrence Award was presented to brokers Moshe Sukenik and David Noonan of Newmark & Company Real Estate (d/b/a Newmark Knight Frank) for the sale and leaseback deal “The Land Swap that led to the new Lincoln Square Synagogue.”

The third place Edward S. Gordon Award was presented to Andrew Singer and Kathleen McSharry of The Singer & Bassuk Organization for the finance deal “50 Murray Street.”

“Those who received this year’s awards for the Most Ingenious Deal of the Year demonstrated the creativity and ability aspired to by all REBNY members,” said Spinola.  “The details of these deals prove New York City real estate can often be a tricky road to navigate when you have your clients’ best interest in mind.  These professionals showed amazing wit and knowledge and not only satisfied their clients but made an indelible impact on New York City and its economy.”

The winners accepted their awards at the Sales Brokers Committee’s annual cocktail party at the 101 Club in New York City.

The American Council of Engineering Companies of New York has distributed its international 2008 Diamond Awards to consulting engineering companies, 21 of the 30 awards went to projects in New York and New Jersey.

The awards recognize project for research, building/technology systems, structural systems, surveying and mapping, environmental, water and wastewater, water resources, transportation and special projects, said ACEC New York.

The winning projects in New York and New Jersey are:

• Dr. Hudspeth Ear Cell Laboratory, New York, N.Y.
• Oneida-Herkimer Regional Landfill Facility, Ava, N.Y.
• Route 17 – Horseheads, N.Y.
• Hamlet of Redwood – Water Storage and Distribution, Town of Alexandria, N.Y.
• Binghamton-Johnson City Joint Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrades, Vestal, N.Y.
• Princeton University Lewis Library, Princeton, N.J.
• 34 Freeman’s Bridge Road Site Remediation, Scotia, N.Y.
• Frederick Douglass – Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge, Rochester, N.Y.
• Newtown Creek WPCP Contract 35, Brooklyn, N.Y.
• The Great Lawn, Utica, N.Y.
• Water Treatment Plant Site Preparation, Bronx, N.Y.
• Surveying for the Fulton Street Transit Center, New York, N.Y.
• Third Avenue Bridge Construction Management, New York, N.Y.
• Genesee Riverway Trail, Rochester, N.Y.
• Ninth Precinct Reconstruction, New York, N.Y.
• Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks, Tupper Lake, N.Y.
• NJ Transit Newark Broad Street Station, Newark, N.J.
• Pelham Rock Slope Stabilization, Pelham, Westchester County, N.Y.
• The National September 11 Memorial at the World Trade Center, New York, N.Y.
• Long Island Non-Motorized Transportation Study, Nassau and Suffolk counties, Long Island, N.Y.
• The New York Times Building, New York, N.Y.

“Engineering projects serve many purposes, but above all, they create and connect communities,” said Gregory Kelly, president of ACEC New York. “Each of these projects was technically challenging and resolved issues with imagination and foresight.”

Industry professionals recently competed in a 2008 National Craft Championships competition, as part of the Associated Builders and Contractors’ National Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Of the 135 professionals entered in the championship, 33 took home awards. The competition covers 11 different craft areas—carpentry, electrical, fire sprinkler, HVAC, insulation, metal building, millwright, pipefitting, plumbing, sheet metal and welding. Participants were required to complete a two-hour written exam and a day-long, hands-on craft project. Entrants were also judged on safety practices and procedures.

Only one winner from the tri-state area was selected. In carpentry, Marlon Walker of Network Interiors, Inc. took home the Bronze medal for the ABC Connecticut Chapter.

“The National Craft Championships is the highlight of ABC’s annual National Convention, and this year was no exception,” said 2008 ABC National Chairman Bill Fairchild. “Once again, we are honored to provide these craft professionals with the opportunity to demonstrate their high-quality workmanship, technical knowledge and safe work practices. These craft professionals are the best-of-the-best and show us that there is a bright future ahead for ABC and the U.S. construction industry.”