GrowingTogetherSeptember2017

September 2017 Update Growing Together Monthly Newsletter for Columbia University’s Manhattanville in West Harlem Development C olumbia’s long-term plan for the old Manhattanville manufacturing area will revitalize the four former industrial blocks from 125th/129th to 133rd Street between Broadway and 12th Avenue, and three small blocks along the east side of Broadway from 131st to 134th Street, into an environmentally sustainable and publicly accessible center for academic and civic life woven into the fabric of the West Harlem community. Project Scope The initial phase of development will include the Jerome L. Greene Science Center, the Lenfest Center for the Arts, a new home for the Columbia Business School, and the University Forum. Later phases will emphasize interdisciplinary scholarship, including biomedical engineering, nanotechnology, systems biology, and urban and population studies, as well as housing for graduate students and faculty. Phase 1 Emergency Generator Project Furnish and install emergency generator plant on the roof of the Studebaker building to provide emergency power to the Manhattanville campus. Operations training is ongoing. Did You Know? Current Construction Activity Jerome L. Greene Science Center Ongoing testing, balancing, and commissioning of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems are nearing completion. Lenfest Center for the Arts HVAC system and elevator testing and commissioning underway. Security and audio/visual systems punch list in progress. The Forum Precast panels punch list. Roughing for mechanical, electrical and plumbing in the below-grade and street-level spaces. Masonry walls Attendees getting a hands-on education of the brain during a recent Saturday installation at the second level. Phase 2 Foundations The support of excavation (SOE) contractor is currently performing the following activities; mass excavation, installation of temporary tieback anchors along the north wall (beneath the Studebaker building), foundation minipiles and concrete pile caps. The dewatering system is in operation. Central Energy Plant (CEP) Boiler testing equipment setup and testing is ongoing. Training for systems is ongoing. Electrical system commissioning testing is ongoing. Small Square The first phase of Manhattanville’s open space project, which lies north of W129th Street, south of Lenfest, and west of the Jerome L. Greene Science Center, is nearing completion. Upcoming work will include completion of the Woodland Walk and planting of the perennials. September 2017 Update Page 1 of 4 Science event held at the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute’s Education Lab on Columbia’s Manhattanville campus. (Photo: Michael DiVito) Next month, October is filled with community events, from art to brain science and earth science. The next Wallach Art Gallery Family Workshop inspired by the exhibition, Living in America: Frank Lloyd Wright, Harlem and Modern Housing, takes place on Saturday, October 7 from 1 to 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Also on October 7, Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is hosting an Open House, a day filled with fun and informative earth science activities for parents, children and science enthusiasts of all ages. At the Open House, you can experience the sights and sounds of earthquakes, explore the Arctic through hands-on activities, learn about one of the world’s most unique collections of sediment cores, and more. Visit the Open House website at openhouse.ldeo.columbia.edu for more information. The Open House is free and open to the public, with a $5 suggested donation. On October 14, the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute is hosting the next “Saturday Science” with the theme “Sensory Overload.” Visit zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu/saturday-science for (Over) more. What to Expect Although contractors carefully stage construction activities to minimize disruption to the surrounding community, the nature of construction work is such that some disruptions will occur. The community should expect the following in the coming months:  Regular work hours are 7:00am - 6:00pm Monday through Friday  Weekend work may be performed.  Closure of certain traffic lanes, parking lanes, sidewalks and crosswalks, including:  No standing on West 125th Street between Broadway and West 129th Street.  There is a no parking zone in effect on the west side of Broadway from West 125th to 129th Streets.  Broadway sidewalk is open from West 129th to West 130th Street. The Broadway parking lane is a no parking zone.  West 131st Street between Broadway and 12th Ave is closed and will remain closed until early 2019.  West 130th Street between Broadway and 12th Ave is a no standing or parking zone.  West 129th Street between Broadway and West 125th Street is closed until the end of the year. Community Amenities and Benefits To access the Columbia University’s Community Services Website, please visit: manhattanville.columbia.edu then click “Community” in the navigation menu. Minority, Women, and Local Businesses and Workforce MWL construction workforce delivered 1,341,442 hours worked, representing 50 percent of the total workforce hours for the construction of the new Manhattanville campus. 243,108 hours of that figure were performed by the local workforce. Jobs and Opportunities As the project progresses, we expect additional opportunities for people with a wide range of skills and experience in the coming years. We are working with our construction partners Skanska USA/the Velez Organization (for the Forum) and Lendlease (for Phase 2 foundations/below-grade) to assist those interested in employment with construction firms currently working at Columbia. For more information, please visit the Manhattanville Employment Opportunities page at manhattanville.columbia.edu/jobsopportunities. Additional Information This newsletter and our weekly construction updates (which contain more specific information about construction impacts) will be available on the web at manhattanville.columbia.edu and at various locations at the project site and throughout the Manhattanville area. Please note that construction activities are subject to change based on field conditions. We appreciate the patience and cooperation of everyone who is temporarily inconvenienced by these projects. Should you have questions about construction activity, call the Columbia Facilities Services Center at (212) 854-2222, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or e-mail [email protected]. For more project information, to view upcoming bid opportunities, and to sign-up for our e-mail updates visit manhattanville.columbia.edu. Columbia has made a significant commitment to the minority, women, and local (MWL) construction contracting and workforce community throughout the course of the project: MWL construction trade contracting goal of 35 percent and MWL construction trade workforce goal of 40 percent. Working with construction contractors Neighboring construction projects not related to and the building trades, Columbia is working to enhance the role Columbia MWL firms and workers play in building the new campus. All figures  New York City Economic Development Corporation's West 125th Street Streetscape Improvement Project, please contact represent non-specialty construction services and related materials. Patrick Jordan at 917-439-4630 or [email protected]. Construction Contracting In the first quarter 2017 (January 1 to March 31), Columbia paid $22,616,290 to MWL firms, representing 53 percent of total construction spend. $16,818,617 of that figure was paid to local companies.  New York City Department of Transportation’s Protective Coating of the Riverside Drive Viaduct from St. Clair Place to 135th St., please contact Community Liaison Hugh Smith at 917-434-1385 or via e-mail at [email protected] Cumulatively from August 1, 2008, through March 31, 2017, Columbia paid $170,026,810 to MWL firms, representing 37 percent of total construction spend, excluding the amount paid to the construction manager. $66,076,242 of that figure was paid to local companies. Construction Workforce In the first quarter 2017 (January 1 to March 31), the MWL construction workforce delivered 13,197 hours worked, representing 49 percent of the total workforce hours for the construction of the new Manhattanville campus. 1,744 hours of that figure were performed by the local workforce. Cumulatively from August 1, 2008, through March 31, 2017, the September 2017 Update Page 2 of 4 (Over) Community News of qualified vendors for Whole Foods and other large purchasers. With the help of a Columbia resource, Harlem is becoming a haven for local businesses For its role in the partnership, the Columbia-Harlem SBDC has developed the Small Business Intensive Education Program, a rigorous business support program of five required classes for vendors inclusive of topics from business model development to cash flow support, financial projections, marketing assistance and other subjects to fine tune their business acumen. In addition to the Graduate Level academic classes offered, there is a lot of peer support and access to Columbia University Alumni Mentors. Beyond the business classes and support, other partners in the Harlem Local Vendor Program offer participating businesses opportunities for exposure in vendor markets, access to a local commercial kitchen, assistance with product distribution, support with purchasing and more. Harlem entrepreneurs who are part of the Harlem Local Vendor Program gather for a photo on opening day of the Harlem Whole Foods Market in July. (Photo courtesy of Whole Foods Market) Sixty local Harlem businesses applied to be part of the most recent cohort, with nearly half approved to participate. The most recent cohort graduated at an event in late July. Graduates of the program are eligible to pitch their products to corporate buyers at the vendor fair hosted by the SBDC and Columbia Dining in December. “The Harlem Local Vendor Program helped my business and other local entrepreneurs focus discreetly on topics that will enable us to excel in the broader marketplace while also fostering collaboration among local entrepreneurs,” said Ramona Prioleau, a 1988 Columbia College and 1991 Columbia Business School graduate and founder of FRAMIATI, a Harlem-based and 100-percent minority Around the same time six blocks north on 125th Street, Whole Foods - and woman-owned provider of skincare items and merchandise. Market opened its first store in Harlem, carrying many products made by local Harlem entrepreneurs that were flying off the shelves. “The program's strategic small business advice; insightful finance lessons; emphasis on data-based decisions and supportive network In some ways the outpouring of excitement for these local small help FRAMIATI continue to grow,” she added. businesses could be interpreted as a natural fulfillment of longSugar Hill Creamery, a new mom and pop ice cream shop on Lenox Avenue and 119th Street, opened in late July to the equivalent of a neighborhood standing ovation, with so many customers at times that they sold out their ice cream prior to closing time. suppressed demand for products that represent Harlem’s unique identity. While that demand may be real, the initial success is attributed to the creativity and hard work of entrepreneurs who collaborated with a consortium of local business development organizations all committed to improving Harlem’s business climate and helping small businesses grow. Small businesses that participated in the program’s earlier cohorts were not required to complete the business assistance curriculum, but the consortium felt that providing more business tools was a necessary component for an entrepreneur’s long term success. “The program’s ultimate goal is to help build strong Harlem businesses while creating more economic stability in the community that can sustain and support more of these businesses,” said Simmons. “Adding the mandatory business instruction goes a long way to making sure businesses have the behind-the-scenes capabilities to attract and retain multiple purchasers and create a lasting venture.” The Columbia-Harlem Small Business Development Center (Columbia-Harlem SBDC) has been a partner with Harlem Park to Park, Hot Bread Kitchen Incubates and the Harlem Community Development Corporation to create the Harlem Local Vendor Program (HLVP) and find ways to support Harlem food and product vendors. The new Harlem Whole Foods opened with more than 20 Harlem-made products on its shelf – all of which are made from local For entrepreneurs in the program, the benefits extended to the relationships they formed with other local entrepreneurs in their vendors who are part of the HLVP. cohort. “Several years ago, we initiated a vendor fair for local caterers to “As a first-time, Harlem-based entrepreneur with close to 15 years increase catering opportunities at Columbia. Realizing that the living in the neighborhood, we are actively thinking about how to number of people who would book a caterer at Columbia is too support our local economy, which is made possible by other Harlemwidespread, we quickly shifted to broader events beyond just food that put local vendors in front of purchasers for Columbia’s business based entrepreneurs and small businesses. We are all rooting for units as well as other major retailers including Whole Foods, Fairway, each other and finding ways to collaborate as we bring our products to market. At Sugar Hill Creamery, we are proud to feature a Macy’s, Bed Bath and Beyond, and more,” said Kaaryn Nailor Simmons, director of the Columbia-Harlem SBDC, a program of the tamarind flavor with a tamarind sauce from Essie Spice and a peanut butter strawberry flavor where we source the strawberry jam from Ida Columbia Business School. Preserves,” said Nick Larsen, one of Sugar Hill Creamery’s coAt the same time, other local community organizations including founders. Harlem Park to Park, Hot Bread Kitchen Incubates and the Harlem Many of the businesses from the Harlem Local Vendor Program will CDC were exploring strategies to support local businesses, with an be at the eighth annual Harlem Harvest Festival taking place October eye toward the opening of the Harlem Whole Foods. The 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on St. Nicholas Avenue between 117th and organizations joined together with Columbia-Harlem SBDC to form the Harlem Local Vendor Program and create a continuous pipeline 118th streets. (Over) September 2017 Update Page 3 of 4 Construction Progress Images Phase 2 foundations site, looking northeast Woodland Walk north-south passageway to the west of the Lenfest Center for the Arts The Forum, looking northwest Sustainable Partnerships Aerial view looking northeast LEED ND Stage 1 Platinum Certified Plan September 2017 Update Page 4 of 4