Annual Report 1999
2000 Priority Issues
Despite a recent boom in activity for the building industry,success must be measured over decades. Many unmet physical needs now require immediate action.
The Building Congress,its members,committees and task forces will focus its energies and talents on behalf of the entire industry on forward-looking investment. Through testimony,lobbying,analyses of budget proposals and potential funding mechanisms,media outreach and meetings with key public officials,the Building Congress will promote the benefits of building for growth while warning of the adverse consequences of deferred maintenance.
Four of the most critical development and infrastructure issues for New York City and the building community in the coming months are detailed below:
MTA Capital Program
Despite garnering $14.7 billion in federal transportation funding for New York State over the next six years, formidable mass transit challenges remain. Potential State and City funding is being jeopardized at a time when the system must accommodate a surging growth in ridership.
The entire building community must speak with a unified and persuasive voice during 1999 negotiations on the MTA's Five-Year Capital Program. As the industry did so well on the federal level, everyone involved must articulate the need for substantial transportation investment. The stakes are high because New York must create greater capacity, maintain its subway and bus fleet, repair subway stations and provide East Side Rail Access via Grand Central Terminal.
School Construction
A safe, modernized school system provides educational opportunities for all New Yorkers and encourages families to live and work in New York City. The New York City Board of Education has requested $10.9 billion in capital funds over the next five years to alleviate severe overcrowding and rehabilitate schools by repairing or replacing leaking roofs, crumbling facades and coal burning furnaces.
The Building Congress will encourage support for the Board of Education's funding request, which is the bare minimum necessary to prevent our schools from deteriorating still further. In addition, the Building Congress and its Public Buildings Committee will work closely with City and State leaders to make the school construction process more efficient and accountable.
AirTrain
One last obstacle stands in the way of a rail link between John F. Kennedy Airport and the region's mass transit system --the public approval process. The Building Congress with its Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is working with transportation advocates and key public officials to win approval for AirTrain from the City Planning Commission and the City Council.
Sports Facilities Development Corp.
Sports franchises boost New York City's tax and tourism revenues, create jobs and are a source of great civic pride. Retaining current teams and possibly enticing new ones necessitates the cultivation of well-maintained, modern facilities. Whether through renovation or new construction, New York City must improve its stock of sports stadiums in the near future.
The Building Congress is urging State Legislators and the City Council to approve Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's proposed Sports Facilities Development Corporation, which would be funded through extension of the New York City Commercial Rent Tax. This would raise $600 million for new or renovated facilities for the New York Yankees, New York Mets and two minor-league baseball teams.
