New York Building Congress

As the economy sours, ever-rising construction costs seem to be an in-vogue subject: Last night, the New York Building Congress released a report on the topic; the Manhattan Institute put out recommendations for controlling cost escalations earlier this month; and, on Monday, the Bloomberg administration announced a set of initiatives to lower costs of city projects.

The basic problem--costs have been going up at least 10 percent annually for the past few years--doesn't seem to have any easy solutions, as the reports (both of which involved consultation with the same firm, Urbanomics) recommended a broad array of changes that could lower costs to varying degrees.  read more »

8:30 a.m. Metropolitan Transportation Authority Executive Director and CEP Elliot Sander will discuss MTA's capital program and expansion plans at a New York Building Congress Forum at The Grand Hyatt, 109 East 42nd Street.

10 a.m. The JPMorgan Chase Foundation will present $20,000 to fund a Harlem student's trip to Yellowstone National Park at the Future Leaders Institute Charter School, 134 West 122nd Street, between Lenox Avenue and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard.  read more »

10:15 a.m. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will declare "Protect our Kids from Tobacco Advertising Day" at John Dewey High School, 50 Avenue X, between Stillwell Avenue and West 11th Street in Brooklyn.

Start with a healthy economy, add rising costs of materials and top it off with public agencies teeming with Sept. 11 funds and what do you get? Record spending on construction. The amount this year, according to a New York Building Congress report released today, will exceed $20 billion, with more than half of that due to government magnanimity. You can, as Eliot Spitzer would say, take that to the bank. -Matthew Schuerman

Hillary Clinton campaigns in Virginia for senate candidate Jim Webb.

At 8:30, Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff attends the Construction Industry Breakfast Forum at the Hilton where the New York Building Congress releases construction forecast.

At 10, Street vendors release report documenting poverty and harassment and then march from City Hall Park to the Environmental Control Board (66 John St.).

Also at 10, Mayor Bloomberg and Adolfo Carrion celebrate the expansion of the Bronx Museum of the Arts.

At noon, Borough presidents denounce "subsidized gentrification" and encourage affordable housing, at City Hall.

At 1, the Immigrant Affairs commissioner and Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz discuss Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery at the Arab-American Family Support Center.

At 5:30, there is a Central American Heritage inside City Hall.

At 7, former Sen. John Edwards, Elizabeth Edwards, signs copies of her book; Barnes & Noble, 2289 Broadway.

At 8, a town hall entitled "Should the U.S. Get Out of Iraq?" is held at 123 W. 43rd Street, and hosted by Harper's Magazine and WNYC New York Public Radio.

And finally...Elton John releases the Elton John Fireside Home Fragrance Collection at the St. Regis Hotel. Yes!

-- Azi Paybarah

Tomorrow morning, Marcia Gay Harden, Christine Quinn and Geraldine Ferraro host a women's breakfast Andrew Cuomo at the Sheraton. John Faso and Bill Weld speak at a New York Building Congress forum at the Hilton.

Bill Clinton speaks at Cooper Union's 147th Commencement.

Later in the day the New York State Conservative Party meets at the Sheraton.

—Nicole Brydson

Tomorrow morning Tom Suozzi addresses a New York Building Congress forum at the Grand Hyatt; and the NYC Campaign Finance Board meets at 40 Rector Street.

Then at noon, students and professors at Columbia University begin a 24 hour reading of George Orwell's 1984 as a protest to NSA wiretapping.

Grassroots activists supporting Hillary Clinton for President gather for the first 2008 New York City Meet Up.

And you can debate the tax code at the CUNY Grad Center.

—Nicole Brydson

Lately, “good news” at Ground Zero has really just been the undoing of bad news: Goldman Sachs, Freedom Tower. At a lunch before the New York Building Congress today, the Governor delivered the first truly good news in a while: American Express is taking another 200,000 square feet in the World Financial Center.

Of course, there is still more than 4 million square feet of office space going up across the street at the World Trade Center, looking for a tenant--many tenants.  read more »

-Matthew Schuerman