Telephone: 212.367.2130
Facsimile: 212.644.9201
www.wbcnyc.org
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Volume I, Issue 23 - Week of June 8th, 2009
There is a hum of change and excitement surrounding MWBE participation this week. In his recent visit to New York, Vice President Joe Biden says the stimulus package is set to kick in during the second hundred days. The MTA has provided generous terms with which Bruce Ratner may jumpstart the stalled Atlantic Yards project. However, it’s also a week of change. The Atlantic Yards developer has dropped plans for the Gehry designed arena, and Marisa Lago, President and Chief Executive of the Empire State Development Corporation, has announced her resignation.
Changes have been occurring over the past week throughout the nation as well. Baltimore, Maryland has increased MWBE participation in government contracts to 15 percent. Labor unions and nonprofit developers in Albany are butting heads over a prevailing wage bill. Studies show that the high-tech industry has a diversity problem, and Congress is yet again grappling with raising sufficient funding to cover the expenses laid out by the federal transportation bill.
June is a very busy month around here. Be sure to review our events section below.
More on late-breaking news and updates on the Republicans having taken over the Senate in next week’s WBC FYI, with implications on current projects and contracts for MWBEs in New York City.
Enjoy the read.
Renee Sacks
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Renée Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor
rsacks@wbcnyc.org
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GET CERTIFIED
WBC can help you get certified with New York City Small Business Services. It’s an important first step to navigating procurement opportunities with the city and other public agencies. Contact WBC at 212.367.2130 or email rsacks@wbcnyc.org for more information. |
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Paterson's Economic Development Chief Announces Resignation
6/6/2009 - Source: New York Times
One of New York State's top economic development officials announced her resignation on Saturday, after less than a year in office, in yet another setback for the troubled agency she had been appointed to lead.
The official, Marisa Lago, president and chief executive of the Empire State Development Corporation, said she would step down at the end of the month, according to a press release from Gov. David A. Paterson’s office. Just last August, Mr. Paterson appointed Ms. Lago to run the agency, which had long been buffeted by turf wars, management problems and a lack of direction.
State Commission Pushes Public/Private Drive for Infrastructure
6/1/2009 - Source: Crain's New York Business
According to a report released Monday by Governor David Paterson, the private sector should partner with the state to rebuild the Kosciusko Bridge and repair and maintain the Gowanus Expressway. . If those and other relatively small-scale, public-private partnerships work out, the state could then be ready for a $14 billion mega-collaboration with the private sector to repair or replace the Tappan Zee Bridge, the report says.
The Tech Industry's Diversity Problem
6/1/2009 - Source: Wall Street Journal
The high-tech industry has a diversity problem, according to a new study. Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans only make up 6.8% of engineering and other technical staffers in the tech industry, the Anita Borg Institute, a group that promotes the hiring of women in high-tech, said on Monday. These groups make up an even smaller percentage of workers at higher levels within tech companies.
Sparring in Albany Over Raising Wages to Build Lower-Cost Housing
6/1/2009 - Source: New York Times
Two seemingly like-minded political allies-labor unions and nonprofit developers of lower-cost housing-have taken opposing sides in Albany over a bill that would require the developers to pay construction workers the prevailing wage, essentially a union-level wage far higher than non-union pay. |
Can Glass Be Green?
6/2/2009 - Source: Crain’s Insider
The U.S. Green Building Council, which hands out coveted LEED ratings to buildings, is considering whether glass facades should be a disqualifier because they are poor insulators. The council’s New York chapter hosted a debate last week and is writing a white paper to settle the matter. Glass buildings have won LEED ratings, but Russell Unger, the chapter’s executive director and a former Bloomberg administration official, says the industry is grappling with the question of whether even the most energy-efficient glass “can hit a high enough bar.”
LIRR Chief: Sweeter MTA Deal for Ratner Could Get Yards Back on Track
6/1/2009 - Source: The Brooklyn Paper
Atlantic Yards developer Bruce Ratner is poised to receive new, generous terms from the MTA that supporters say could jumpstart his stalled mega-project even as a new report revealed that the cit y would actually lose money on the basketball arena at the heart of the $4 billion housing and office complex.
Joe Biden Makes Visit to New York, Says Stimulus Will Kick In Soon
6/3/2009 - Source: NY Daily News
Be patient, America, and be careful. That was the two-pronged message delivered Tuesday by Vice President Joe Biden, who came to New York to talk up the economic powers of President Obama's stimulus package, and the enticement its $787 billion offers scammers.
Developer Drops Gehry's Design for Brooklyn Arena
6/4/2009 - Source: New York Times
Citing financial concerns, the developer of the long-delayed Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn has scrapped plans for a Frank Gehry-designed $1 billion glass-walled basketball arena for the Nets in favor of a less expensive arena. The new design, which will cost about $200 million less, comes from Ellerbe Becket, an architectural firm based in Kansas City, Mo., that specializes in convention centers, stadiums and arenas and designed Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, where the Indiana Pacers play.
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Baltimore County, Maryland Boosts Minority and Women Contract Share
6/8/2009 - Source: Baltimore Sun
In an effort to provide more opportunities for businesses owned by women and minorities, Baltimore County has increased to 15 percent the participation those companies should have in government contracts. "We have seen a lot of growth in these businesses," County Executive James T. Smith Jr. said yesterday. "This order should enhance our efforts to help minority and women's businesses succeed."
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Congress Grapples Again With How to Pay for Transportation Projects
6/5/2009 - Source: New York Times
The federal transportation bill could wind up spending nearly 10 times as much money on transportation projects as the federal stimulus bill, but outside of Washington, where it has prompted a frenzy of politicking, it has attracted less than a 10th of the attention.This bill could spend as much as $450 billion on road and transit projects over the next six years, after the current law expires in September.
Queens Borough President Helen M. Marshall & Council for Airport Opportunity (CAO) Invite You to the 8th Annual Job Fair
June 19, 2009
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ALL MUST ENTER BOROUGH HALL THROUGH THE ENTRANCE AT THE FRONT OF THE
BUILDING & MUST HAVE A VALID PHOTO I.D.
Employers at LaGuardia and JFK International Airports are recruiting candidates
interested in applying for positions such as:
Aircraft Mechanics, Ramp Service Agents, Aircraft Cleaners, Customer Service Agents, Ticket Agents, Passenger Service Agents, Flight Attendants, Freight Agents Drivers, Food Service Workers, Baggage Handlers, Pre-Board Screeners, Reservation Agents, Security Guards, Warehouse Workers
WHEN:
Friday, June 19th, 2009
10:00am - 3:00pm |
WHERE:
Queens Borough Hall
120-55 Queens Boulevard
2nd Floor, Conference Room 213
Kew Gardens, NY 11424 |
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ROADS, BRIDGES, TUNNELS & FIBER
BALCONY Breakfast Forum with Port Authority Executive Director Chris Ward
June 18, 2009
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Keynote Speaker:
CHRIS WARD, Executive Director, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Confirmed Panelists:
DR. JAMES MELIUS, Administrator, LECET;
Executive Board Member of BALCONY
SAMARA BAREND, Executive Director,
New York State Commission on State Asset Maximization
ROBERT LEDWITH, Business Manager, Financial Secretary/Treasurer of Local 46 Metallic Lathers and Reinforcing Ironworkers
BRIAN OSTERHOUT, Director of Business Development, MJ Engineering and Land Surveying, PC
CHRIS LEVENDOS, Executive Director of Operations, Verizon
STEPHEN McINNIS, Political Director, NYC District Council of Carpenters
Topics Will Include:
- An overview and capital plan of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
- Analysis of the infrastructure needs of New York State
- Update on the New York State Commission on State Asset Maximization
- Status update on the state-of-the-art technological infrastructure
For More Information Click Here
WHEN:
June 18, 2009
8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. |
WHERE:
New York and Vicinity Carpenters Labor Management Corporation
395 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014 |
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The Future of New York City - Small Business
June 18, 2009
A don't-miss morning conference outlining specific New York City resources for your small business.
Opening Session:
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn on the importance of small business to New York's economy
Award Ceremony:
Crain's 2009 Top Entrepreneurs
What Government Can Do For You:
Series of presentations from key government agencies with programs to assist small businesses
Breakout Sessions:
Growing Revenues, Managing the Workforce
COST TO ATTEND:
$99 for individual ticket(s) if pre-registered by June 5; $119 thereafter.
$990 for table(s) of ten if pre-registered by June 5; $1,190 thereafter.
Click here for more information
WHEN:
Thursday, June 18, 2009 |
WHERE:
Crowne Plaza Times Square
1605 Broadway @ 49th Street
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Diversity a Power Resource
June 18, 2009
A goal of the Authority's Supplier Diversity Program is to encourage an effective collaboration between qualified minority- and women-owned suppliers and large buying organizations. The Purchasing Exchange is an exciting and effective event that has produced significant contacts and contracts.
For 19 years the Purchasing Exchange has provided an outstanding venue for suppliers to gather and exchange information and procurement opportunities with each other, and to pursue contract opportunities with purchasing representatives from NYPA, other utilities, trade associations, city and state agencies and authorities, and from corporate entities.
Please click here to download registration form.
WHEN:
Thursday, June 18, 2009 |
WHERE:
123 Main Street - Jaguar Room (Main Lobby)
White Plains, NY 10601
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SAVE THE DATE:
SCA Business Development's Annual General Contractor/Sub-Contractor Marketing Forum
June 18, 2009
Visit the Business Development Division
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WHEN:
Thursday, June 18, 2009
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WHERE:
DDC Atrium
30-30 Thomson Avenue
Long Island City, NY 11101
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Make the Connection. The World Trade Center Business Resource Center is where M/W/SBEs can access an array of valuable business services, including critical information on upcoming contract opportunities with WTC redevelopment projects.
WHEN:
Monday through Friday
9:00 am - 5:00 pm |
WHERE:
115 Broadway, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10006 |
See Current Bid Opportunities from DASNY |
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