New York is in the midst of a comeback. You feel it a little more every day, as you walk down the street and hear that familiar Big Apple anthem: the chatter of jackhammers, the whine of cranes, the pound of piledrivers. After two challenging years of loss, struggle and uncertainty, it’s a reassuring sign we hoped to see.
Now, the task at hand is to rebuild the Greatest City on Earth — not necessarily to what it was in 2020, but to what it should be in 2023. There are still plenty of questions, however, from the little things like what pandemic-related procurement changes should be permanent, to the mammoth issue of what Midtown looks like in a post-COVID world. None of these questions have a simple solution, but they must be addressed.
No organization is better prepared to lead the discussion around these challenges than the New York Building Congress. For the last 100 years, we and the industry our organization represents has built New York City back after every challenge that’s been thrown its way. With each recovery, the buildings grew higher. The infrastructure got more daring. The idea of New York became clearer and more beautiful.
We realized this throughout 2021, as the Building Congress marked its 100th anniversary. Yes, this was a time of celebration — and we surely did, whether it was our Centennial exhibit or ball at the newly expanded Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. But it was also a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come since our first meeting in April 1921.
Now, however, it’s time to focus on the next 100 years. Our agenda must be as bold as this moment demands. New Yorkers are counting on the building industry to engage with elected officials and enact policies that create jobs, spur innovation and make this entire region stronger.
We must hold the City of New York to retain a capital budget that puts New Yorkers to work building schools, roads, affordable housing and mass transit improvements. It has never been more crucial for New York State to realize its ambitious $311 billion infrastructure agenda. Lastly, New York must get the share it deserves from the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which the Building Congress successfully pushed Washington to pass last year.
The projects of the next 100 years are taking shape: new rail tunnels, ambitious terminals and world-class airports our region sorely needs. As the Gateway Program comes online, we must ensure the influx of new passengers emerge in a transportation hub worthy of the name “Penn Station.” We cannot encourage New Yorkers to get back on mass transit unless we prioritize projects like the reconstruction of Penn Station. The Building Congress is additionally studying the changing nature of the workforce and how the people who live in the 21st Century New York will build the incredible projects of the next 100 years. At the same time, we are redefining the role of this organization so that we can truly build New York into its future.
Whatever the specifics may be, the one principle we are sure of is that the Building Congress is ready to lead. As our Annual Report will show, the state of this organization is strong. Our advocacy in the halls of government has become robust. The unparalleled events we hold have brought in more revenue and connected more people within the industry. And membership has significantly expanded, to ensure every type of firm working on the built environment has a seat at the table.
The sky is truly the limit for us right now. With federal dollars set to arrive, city and state administrations are working together to spur development and a workforce itching to build big, we are on the edge of a new tomorrow.
Very Truly Yours,
Carlo A. Scissura, Esq. Ralph J. Esposito
President and CEO Chair
