NY Building Congress reveals infrastructure report: Projects for New York’s next 100 years

New York, NY The New York Building Congress released a report outlining essential transit, housing, and infrastructure projects that the city must undertake over the next 100 years for economic growth and a prosperous, equitable future.

“For 100 years, the NY Building Congress and its members have been committed to advancing developments and projects that improve New Yorkers lives and create a stronger, more functional, beautiful and equitable city,” said Ralph Esposito, chair of the NY Building Congress and Carlo  Scissura, president and CEO of the NY Building Congress. “Looking ahead to our great city’s future, we will continue our advocacy and efforts to advance the critical projects outlined in this report. There has never been a more opportune time to get to work on bold, visionary projects for future generations.”

Drawing on the Building Congress’ last 100 years of experience driving the building industry and shaping New York, “Hundred Year Report Series: Projects” outlines a vision for a thoughtful and robust investment in building and infrastructure projects across the city.

The bipartisan passage of the historic federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act positioned New York well to think long-term about transportation and infrastructure improvements. As such, infrastructure projects are featured prominently in this report.

Over the next ten years, the Building Congress calls on the city to complete the Gateway Program, advance the Penn Station redevelopment, tear down and reconstruct the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, reimagine the Port Authority Bus Terminal, complete the Interborough Express, and prioritize phase two of the 2^nd Ave. subway expansion. These projects alone will generate trillions of dollars in annual economic output, service millions of commuters, create hundreds of thousands of jobs, and transform Midtown Manhattan into a world-class transportation hub.

The Building Congress also proposes several innovative, out-of-the-box solutions to some of the most pressing problems facing New York City, including the housing crisis, transit access and climate change:

• Repurpose the David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building as Housing: The Dinkins Building was designed in the early 1900s to be one of the largest office buildings in the world, but today, it is outdated and run down. We suggest relocating city worker to existing, modern spaces across the five boroughs, transferring ownership to the private sector — following broad community engagement and public outreach — and fully renovating it into a mixed-use development. Then earmark the proceeds raised exclusively for NYCHA capital improvements.
• Build Floodgates for Long-term Coastal Resiliency: Building off of the momentum of the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Project, a cohesive, citywide plan to protect New York City from future storm surges and sea level rise is critical. Large, adaptable flood barriers must be constructed around our most vulnerable coastal areas to protect our communities.   
• Construct a New Bridge to Connect Hunts Point to Rikers Island, LGA: After the jail facility is demolished, build a new bridge to connect the Bronx to Rikers Island and Queens to improve access to food and produce markets and distribution centers in Hunts Point with a direct connection to Queens and Long Island, reduce congestion, and expand bus service to hubs in the Bronx, such as Yankees Stadium.
• Rebuild Borough of Manhattan Community College: Borough of Manhattan Community College is an outdated, horizontal cluster of buildings spanning four city blocks in the high-opportunity Tribeca neighborhood. Replacing this campus with a modern, vertical campus will free up entire city blocks for development. The Building Congress proposes this space could be used to build an educational hub with K-12 facilities and tech industry training facilities.

A full copy can be accessed by visiting https://www.buildingcongress.com/advocacy-and-reports/reports-and-analysis/Hundred-Year-Report-Series-Projects.html.

This publication is second in the Building Congress’ Hundred Year Report Series. The first, released in May 2022, outlines policy priorities for transportation, infrastructure, housing, climate resiliency and workforce development over the next 100 years. The final report of the 3-part series, to be focused on the people who will shape the future of New York, is forthcoming.