Building Congress Event
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY LUNCHEON FORUM
DONOVAN DETAILS OBAMA ADMINISTRATION'S POST-SANDY REBUILDING STRATEGY AT BUILDING CONGRESS FORUM
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan updated members of the design, construction and real estate industry on the Obama administration’s ongoing response to Hurricane Sandy during a September 9 New York Building Congress Luncheon Forum at the Mandarin Oriental.
Secretary Donovan also discussed the findings and recommendations contained in a recent report from President Obama’s Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, which he chaired at the President’s request.
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He commended the New York Building Congress for its thorough examination of the storm and its aftermath, as well as its subsequent report, Risk & Resiliency After Sandy, that detailed a series of recommendations, touching on emergency response, energy and telecommunications, infrastructure and building codes and other critical issues. Secretary Donovan noted that the Task Force drew from the Building Congress report in forming its own analysis.
He also praised his native City for its response. “The Storm caused great economic pain for the region - $65 billion in damages and economic losses; 650,000 homes damaged or destroyed; 200,000 small business closures; and two million working days lost. But if there is one thing we all know: Sandy may have been strong, but New Yorkers are stronger. We are resilient. We are fighters. And when we are knocked down, we always get right back up.”
Secretary Donovan said that the Task Force’s 69 recommendations are focused on coordination among various government agencies at the local, state and federal levels; ensuring large-scale infrastructure projects are built to withstand the effects of climate change; and making energy infrastructure more resilient.
Construction for a Livable City
Prior to Secretary Donovan’s remarks, the New York Building Congress and its charitable arm, the New York Building Foundation, recognized five outstanding participants in its Construction for a Livable City (CLC) program.
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Foundation Chairman Frank Sciame said the CLC initiative was created in recognition of the industry’s need to reduce the impact of construction on the public. The Foundation came up with a checklist of 27 quality construction site management practices for building owners, contractors and workers to follow. The CLC checklist is based on common sense site management principles: controlling noise; paying attention to air quality; maintaining the exterior of the worksite; and communicating with the community about construction activity.
Mr. Sciame recognized the five organizations and projects that not only participated in the program but exceeded expectations. They were:
- New York University for its new home for the schools of nursing, dentistry and engineering;
- Boston Properties for its new office tower on West 55th Street;
- Lend Lease (US) Construction LMB, Inc. for its work at the Museum of Natural History and other projects;
- Columbia University for its Manhattanville campus expansion;
- Forest City Ratner Companies for its Atlantic Yards project.
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