Year in Review: Defining Moments for Lendlease Construction in the Tri-State

Despite having been in the construction business longer than I care to mention, I still get excited seeing the amazing project accomplishments that abound in our great industry. Fortunately, I don’t have to look too far to find projects and people to be proud of. So, while my New Year’s Resolution is to share Lendlease’s success stories with more regularity, please entertain this entry as a 2023 Year in Review.   

For more than 40 years, Lendlease has contributed to construction projects that define the Tri-State Area. Our history here includes the Statue of Liberty Restoration to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum; Central Park Tower, the tallest all-residential tower in the world as well as some of the most affordable housing; and numerous state-of-the-art healthcare and life science facilities for world leading institutions. Of the many active Lendlease projects in 2023, these were a particular source of pride not only for the challenges of the projects themselves but for their contributions to the communities they serve across the area. 

Pioneering Sustainability  

Lendlease is both the developer and construction manager at 1 Java Street -- the state’s largest geothermal multifamily development. The project’s sustainability innovation doesn’t end there: we’ve also pioneered the use of ground glass pozzolan to reduce slag cement and fly ash in Portland cement and our pilot of rechargeable electric construction equipment was recognized as a global best practice for Lendlease.   

Beyond 1 Java Street, our sustainability leadership was recognized by GRESB in the Multifamily Technology/Life Sciences sectors. Our sustainability efforts were also recognized by Fitwel with a 2023 Best in Building Health Award, and individual recognition for our US leader Sara Neff. 

Ensuring Our Projects are Just as Safe as the Life-Saving Medicine Our Client Produce 

Safety is our top priority. On one of our larger drug manufacturing facility projects, 2023 continued a remarkable streak of 1195 consecutive days or 646,194 hours without an injury or incident. 

Leading the Way in Healthcare Construction 

The Mount Sinai Behavioral Health Center was awarded NY 2023 NYC Chapter Project of the Year Award by the ​Association of Medical Facility Professionals (AMFP). It’s a fascinating project, breathing new life into an historic building. When complete in 2023, the original 1900s structure will reopen as a 126-bed, six-story, 134,125 square foot state-of-the-art building that functions as a community-oriented destination for behavioral healthcare. We’re proud that projects like this, and myriad more for NY Presbyterian, NYU Langone Medical Center and others, which contributing to wellbeing across region. We were Ranked as one of the top 14 healthcare contractors for the 33rd consecutive year by Modern Healthcare, a fact made more impressive when you consider our healthcare construction activity is concentrated locally. 

Keeping Affordable Housing at the Top of the Agenda 

The Steps at Saratoga, where we are Construction Manager, is bringing affordable housing for seniors and low-income families and advancing food justice and wellness on a previously vacant lot in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. 

This comes on the heels of the successful completion of our fifth affordable housing project in as many years, Garden Towers, a 108,000 square foot two tower structure connected by a glass greenhouse serving as both a physical connector and a unique focal point. The buildings contain 149 rental units for low-income seniors age 62 or older. Developed under HPD’s SARA program, 30% of the units are set aside for homeless seniors, and 50% of the units are set aside for Bronx residents. 

Helping to Prove the Success of Design Build for our Cities and States 

The historic Javits Convention Center expansion has added 1.2 million square feet of state-of-the-art event space to the Javits Center, ensuring its position as one of the nation’s most desired events venues.  The project features a new exhibit hall, 200,000 square feet of new meeting space, a new rooftop pavilion and terrace with breathtaking views, and a one-of-a-kind truck marshaling facility.  Lendlease, as part of a joint venture, led the design-build team on the project, which was awarded a 2023 Design-Build National Award of Merit from the Design Build Institute of America (DBIA).   

In the heart of Central Brooklyn, an exciting project is unfolding: the construction of a new $141 million recreation center named in honor of Shirley Chisholm. The center will feature a fitness center, a state-of-the-art media center, and notably, the first municipal pool in central Brooklyn. The center aims to be more than a recreational space; it’s envisioned as a hub for education, cultural enrichment, and a testament to Chisholm's philosophy of unyielding determination and integrity.  At the groundbreaking ceremony, New York’s Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi, said "Thanks to DDC's design-build program, we will complete this project two years faster than under design-bid-build contracting, and with higher M/WBE utilization rates.” 

Of course, projects wouldn’t exist without the dedication of the people who bring them to life and fuel our culture. Here's a little 'shoutout' to several of my New York colleagues who were recognized for their leadership this year! 

• Chun Yee Yip, named 'Power Player' by PoliticsNY  
• Caaminee Pandit Vecchio, named 2023 REBNY Fellow! 
• Kate Goldman, named a 'Next Generation Women Builder' by the Women Builders Council (WBC. 
• Monique Henley, named a CRE Women of Influence, Class of 2023, GlobeSt 
• Steve Sommer and myself, honored as Construction Idols 2022, New York Build 
• Andy Sama, appointed to LiveOn NY affordable housing Advisory Board 
• Scott Loureiro, Principal-In-Charge, Life Science, was named to the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) New Jersey’s chapter Board of Directors 
• Anthony Giuliano, General Manager of Life Science Construction, was named to the New York City Real Estate Life Science Advisory Board (RELAB)  

I feel fortunate to come to work each day and collaborate with an exceptional team at Lendlease, many of whom I’ve listed above. Reflecting on our successes from the last year, I am proud of the work we have accomplished and excited to deliver our robust construction pipeline for the year ahead.