January 16th - January 20th, 2012

Port Authority Surpasses Record in Minority Contracting

January 16 -- The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey announced that it has passed a huge milestone at the World Trade Center, where it has now awarded a record $1 billion in contracts over the past five years to minority- and women-owned business enterprises, or MWBE, reported Crain’s New York.

That MWBE total, which represents nearly 17% of all World Trade Center-related contracts, is the most that any Port Authority project has ever generated. The spending has generated 2,417 jobs for local small businesses, and more than $1.3 billion in economic activity. The 200 MWBE contracts have gone to construction, architectural and engineering projects, as well as goods and services procurement.

Construction on TriBeCa Building Was Illegal

January 16 --  DNAinfo reports, the NYPD violated city landmarks law by knocking out part of a brick wall at the 1st Precinct's historic stable building, according to a city offical. The NYPD should have gone to the Landmarks Preservation Commission for approval before tearing out part of the 100-year-old stable at 19 Varick St., which sits in the Tribeca West Historic District, said Lisi de Bourbon, spokeswoman for the LPC. But the NYPD did not even notify the Landmarks Commission last summer before cutting a hole in the back of the 100-year-old building and installing a staircase leading up to a new entrance on the second floor, de Bourbon said. At the LPC's instruction, the NYPD recently submitted an application to legalize the changes. The LPC plans to hold a public hearing soon, tenatively scheduled for Feb. 7, de Bourbon said.

Panel Reviews 9/11 Cancer Funding

January 17  -- A panel of medical experts will soon decide whether the federal government's $2.8 billion 9/11 health fund should cover cancer — and they want to hear from the public before making a decision, reported DNAinfo. The World Trade Center Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee is asking Downtown residents, first responders and others to weigh in on whether those who got cancer after being exposed to 9/11 toxins ought to be compensated for their illness. Written comments are due Jan. 18, and those who want to speak directly to the committee can participate in a conference call Jan. 24. The committee will also hold a public meeting in New York City in February, though details of the meeting haven't been confirmed.

Conde Nast increase 1 WTC Space

January 17 -- The New York Post reports, Conde Nast is expanding at One World Trade. The Newhouse family's magazine house plans to take 133,000 square feet in addition to the 1.05 million feet it leased last year. The publisher of Vanity Fair and Vogue, among other titles, is expected to soon finalize a deal for floors 42-44 in the 104-story skyscraper.

Judge Rules Against NYC Court Protest

January 19 – The Wall Street Journal reports, a judge has blocked protesters from gathering outside a federal courthouse as part of a nationwide demonstration scheduled for Friday, citing the space isn't a public forum and there are security concerns even beyond worries about its potential as a terrorism target.

The ruling was not expected to deter demonstrators, who were prepared to gather several hundred feet away in a park located among courthouses and federal buildings. Lawyers for the protesters said they had not decided whether to appeal.

Official in Charge of Sept. 11 Rescues Dies

January 19 -- The New York Times reports, Richard J. Sheirer, who as director of New York City’s Office of Emergency Management was thrown into the limelight on Sept. 11, 2001, after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, died on Thursday in Manhattan. He was 65.  Mr. Sheirer, a former deputy fire commissioner and deputy police commissioner, was appointed to lead the Office of Emergency Management, known as O.E.M., in February 2000. On Sept. 11, Mr. Sheirer was suddenly in charge of coordinating the enormous effort of rescue and clean-up, involving dozens of local, state and federal agencies.