Challenge and Opportunity

The months following the attack on New York City have been both extraordinarily difficult and incredibly busy as we have all come to terms with our lives, and our City, in the aftermath. The unwelcome demands placed upon us have elicited an incredible cooperation among public officials on all levels and the design, construction and real estate community. Together, we have accomplished much; together we still face daunting challenges.

It is also wonderful to see the number of people who now care about the way the City is shaped and made; how it is built, how it comes together, what makes it succeed and fail. People who felt they had little control over such things now are engaged in the process. People who may have never thought about underground facilities now realize there are complex and vital systems below grade that need to be carefully reconstructed to strengthen and revitalize Lower Manhattan. The area’s subways and other public and regional transportation now have the opportunity to be extended, upgraded and linked in a downtown “Grand Central Terminal.” That’s not just because visionaries are conceiving new alternatives for the City, but because a broader public is coming to understand what needs to be done to make Lower Manhattan extraordinary again.

2001 was the year that New York City no longer underestimated our industry. We are carrying out the unprecedented cleanup of Ground Zero in record time with safety, efficiency, and incredible sensitivity to the enormous loss of life. It is terrible that we faced this challenging task but remarkable to have done it well. In the process, the commitment of our industry to the City has become more visible and will be even more so as we move forward to the next phases of work. The industry’s contribution and image can and must remain strong in the public mind. That’s a challenge – and an opportunity – that the Building Congress is accepting for this year. 2001 also included the loss of two remarkable leaders – George A. Fox and Lewis Rudin. With their dedication, intelligence and diligence on behalf of New York, George and Lew represented us for many decades, in countless ways, to the enormous benefit of the City. They leave behind tremendous legacies of public service, and their good works continue in those they inspired.

An outpouring of positive ideas for rebuilding the City continues as we tackle problems
we never thought we’d have and consider solutions we never thought possible. Ideas for office, retail and housing construction as well as cultural facilities and a permanent memorial downtown are all taking shape. The design, construction and real estate community, of which all Building Congress members are a part, will continue to perform the work necessary to restore and rebuild. And, in the memory of the World Trade Center and those who were tragically lost, we will help the City soar.

Marilyn Jordan Taylor, FAIA
Chairman
New York Building Congress