Annual Report 2000
1999 Events
Forums
One of the strengths of the Building Congress is its ability to gather top policy makers, elected officials and industry leaders at its monthly forums. These forums often draw top public officials because they appreciate the opportunity to express their views to an audience of hundreds of businesspeople, all of whom have a stake in improving City life. In fact, every senior New York City and State official has addressed a Building Congress event over the past few years.
At forums in 1999 alone:
New York City Schools Chancellor Rudy Crew lobbied for the industry's support of the Board of Education's capital plan;
MTA Chairman E. Virgil Conway made a forceful plea on behalf of his $17 billion mass transit capital program;
Speaker of the Assembly Sheldon Silver made his case for funding to build a full Second Avenue Subway line;
for the first time as a U.S. Senator, Charles E. Schumer offered his vision of major public capital investment;
a special panel format in August featured Congressmen Peter T. King and Gregory W. Meeks, State Assemblywoman Catherine T. Nolan, State Senator Dean G. Skelos and the President of Long Island Rail Road, Thomas F. Prendergast, discussing the prospects, timing and potential funding for construction of LIRR access to Grand Central Terminal; and,
the Building Congress hosted a year-end salute to the City's Borough Presidents in which Claire Shulman, Fernando Ferrer and C. Virginia Fields discussed the most pressing capital issues facing New York in the coming decade.
Recognition of Industry Leaders
More than 2,000 people attended the Building Congress 78th Anniversary Leadership Awards Luncheon and Industry Recognition Dinner to honor four accomplished leaders in design, construction and real estate: David Childs, Partner, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP; Claes Bjork, President and CEO, Skanska AB ; Frank Ross Sr., Chairman and CEO, HRH Construction Corporation; and Charles H. Thornton, Principal, The Thornton-Tomasetti Group, Inc.The gala tributes to these esteemed professionals also attracted prominent public officials, including New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, City Council Speaker Peter Vallone, and City Comptroller Alan Hevesi.
Membership Reception
Members of the Building Congress were saluted at the Third Annual Membership Appreciation Reception, hosted this year by Tishman Construction Corporation and The Durst Organization. The event was held at Four Times Square, widely considered one of the cornerstones of Times Square's revitalization.
