Lawmakers concerned about the effects on working residents of rezoning proposed for a section of Sunset Park have succeeded in delaying the process for closer consideration. Industry City's owners heard the concerns and held off on plans to add over 1 million square feet to the complex's footprint and potentially create 15,000 jobs.

The Bronx's Southern Boulevard study area is the subject of residential feedback on a rezoning proposal that now enters its next phase. The plan follows the city's pattern of increased residential density that adds or preserves affordable housing.

A proposal for two 39-story towers is being challenged by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden because the buildings could block three hours' worth of daily sunlight to parts of the garden. The area's current zoning laws cap buildings at roughly seven stories, and Brooklyn Botanic Garden would like to keep it that way.

A project manager's duty to balance a client's goals and objectives against informing the client about potential problems is challenging but necessary, Mark Anderson writes. How well your team approaches the "gray area" between compliance and confrontation can shape the outcome of a project.

UK-based firms Reactec and CoreRFID have collaborated on a suite of technology designed to track workers' exposure to vibration when using power tools. One of the tools is a wristwatch-style device that reads data from RFID-tagged tools and sends exposure information to employers.

As the economy cools and becomes increasingly mired in uncertainty, now is the time for construction companies to focus on shoring up technology that fosters productivity and competitiveness before the economic downturn hits, says Michael Oster, founder and CEO of Gemba Technologies. "We have to focus on getting tech a little bit bigger piece of the pie while we have the pie money," he says.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has dropped a requirement that employers with at least 250 workers must electronically submit annual injury and illness reports. Six state attorneys general have sued to vacate that decision, stating that occupational injury data is necessary for creating safer workplaces.

The federal government's proposed fiscal 2020 budget does not include funding for the $13.5 billion Hudson rail tunnel that lawmakers in New York and New Jersey were lobbying for. Furthermore, the budget would reduce the amount Amtrak's Northeast Corridor could use for it by $300 million.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development cannot mandate construction of affordable housing, but it is prepared to favor developers and investors proposing affordable housing for federal Opportunity Zones, says HUD Secretary Ben Carson. He says he expects the grant-based policy, paired with "tax advantages, will drive people to look at those (areas)."

Above ground, under ground, and even under water, union dockbuilders, pile drivers, marine divers, and the contractors that employ them bring strong foundations to structures throughout New York’s skyline, infrastructure, and waterways. Check out this short video highlighting the union training and skills that are crucial to both a project’s success and the safety of workers.

Visit our new and improved searchable MBE/WBE/DBE directory of union carpentry contractors in the New York City metropolitan area. This new directory provides you with the certifications from New York City, New York State, and the New York State Unified Certification Program for our signatory MBEs/WBEs/DBEs. Each listing also provides links to their website (if available) and their association affiliation so you know which contractors can accommodate your needs -- it's all in one place.