NEW YORK—Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Howard Zemsky announced the selection of the design-build team for the $1.5 billion expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Following a rigorous evaluation process utilizing five groups of technical experts, a blue ribbon selection panel has chosen LendLease Turner as the design-build team that will coordinate and construct the massive project on Manhattan’s West Side.
The panel’s recommendation was approved by the Board of Directors of the New York Convention Center Development Corp., a subsidiary of Empire State Development that owns the convention center’s property and oversees major construction work at the facility. The project is expected to generate $393 million in new annual economic activity, reduce area traffic congestion and increase the efficiency of Javits Center operations to allow for new and expanded events.
“The Javits Center is one of New York State’s greatest economic assets, and this project will turn this building into a 21st century marvel, a convention center of the caliber that New York deserves,” said Commissioner Zemsky. “With these new state-of-the-art facilities, we will be able to attract the world’s best conferences and events and drive economic activity throughout the region for decades to come.”
“For the past 30 years, the Javits Center has fueled the Empire State’s economic engines, and thanks to Governor Cuomo’s vision, we will unlock this New York icon’s true potential and host the most dynamic events anywhere in the world,” said Alan Steel, President and CEO of the New York Convention Center Operating Corp., which operates the Javits Center. “With a recent renovation and a rapidly changing West Side neighborhood, there has never been a better time to visit the Javits Center, and this new project will showcase our spaces to new audiences for generations to come.”
More Efficient Traffic Flow
Under the winning proposal, the expansion will provide new, state-of-the-art exhibit and meeting room spaces to attract higher-spending, large-scale trade shows and conventions, while enhancing the quality of life for the West Side community. In addition, the construction of an on-site truck marshaling, loading and storage facility will relocate 20,000 event-related trucks off area streets each year, improving neighborhood traffic flow and pedestrian safety. As a result, the move-in and move-out process for events will be reduced by 30 percent, leading to an additional 20 days for new events and additional economic activity.
The New York Convention Center Development Corp. administered a comprehensive procurement process for the expansion project following a Request for Proposals issued in June 2016.
The evaluation process included five technical committees comprised of 33 experts who evaluated the competing proposals in five different areas: proposed design, project schedule, project plans and approach, MWBE/SDVOB approach and the bidding team’s experience and financial strength. A sixth committee evaluated the bidders’ financial proposals.
A blue ribbon selection panel, comprised of government and industry leaders, received the committee’s evaluations, and after thorough consideration, ranked the proposals and selected the winning bidder.
Atrium Space to Increase
Following a vote by the Board of Directors of the New York Convention Center Development Corp. to approve the panel’s recommendation, the contract was awarded to LendLease Turner. TVS is the design firm included in the LendLease Turner consortium. The winning proposal provided significant design, logistical and operational benefits, including increased atrium space, integrated public and support spaces and a commitment to maintaining current operations during all phases of construction. The expansion project will be funded through a combination of State appropriation and bond issuance proceeds.
The project includes the following major components: an on-site truck marshaling facility that can hold a minimum of 229 trucks that haul exhibit materials to and from the Javits Center; 90,000 square feet of permanent exhibit space, to be combined with the existing exhibit space, to create an approximately 500,000-square-foot exhibition hall; 45,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting room space; 55,000 square-foot ballroom, the largest of its kind in the New York region; green roof terrace and pavilion accommodating 1,500 people for outdoor events; 27 new loading docks; new kitchen and food service areas; back-of-house and administrative space; and LEED Silver certification.
The first phase of work, which will ready the site for the expansion, has begun, including critical utility work and the construction of a new three-story building that will house transformers, backup generators and other electrical equipment needed for the expanded convention center. This first phase was the result of a Request for Proposals issued in September 2016, and following a thorough procurement process, Tishman Construction, an AECOM Co., was selected to oversee this work.
Overall, the expansion will strengthen the regional economy, create more permanent jobs and increase tourism and business involved with the Javits Center. This project also builds upon the progress of the building’s recent renovation, which included the installation of new façade, flooring, mechanical and sustainability systems, as well as a 6.75-acre green roof that has become a sanctuary for area wildlife.
Specifically, the expansion is projected to: create 4,000 full-time jobs, 2,000 part-time jobs and 3,100 construction jobs; generate $393 million in new economic activity a year; and generate 200,000 additional hotel roomnights a year.
