NYBC honors Rudin, Burden, Silverstein & Hughes

Real Estate Weekly, June 4, 2008

Nearly 1,200 design, construction and real estate community members joined to honor Jack Rudin, Amanda Burden, Larry Silverstein and Denis Hughes, during the New York Building Congress 87th Anniversary Leadership Awards Luncheon, held on May 14, 2008, at the Hilton New York.

Each of the honorees were recognized for their extensive contributions to New York City and the building industry throughout their remarkable careers. Luncheon Chairman Kevin Burke, who is Chairman and CEO of Con Edison, set the tone for the afternoon, noting, "Few people have done as much for New York as Jack Rudin, and Larry Silverstein has embraced the rebuilding challenge as well as any real estate executive could have. Denis Hughes is an outstanding labor leader who grew up on the sidewalks of New York, and Amanda Burden is leading the planning and development of this City better than anyone since the Planning Commission was founded in 1938."

Building Congress chairman Dominick M. Servedio and Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York president Edward Malloy helped present the inaugural Jack and Lewis Rudin Award for Industry Service to New York City to Rudin Management Company Chairman Jack Rudin. Of Mr. Rudin, Mr. Malloy said, "I don't think there is any family like Jack and the Rudins who hold labor in such high regard. On behalf of unionized labor, we all love you."

Added City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, "Thank you, Jack, for setting the bar so high in the City of New York."

During his acceptance, Rudin said, "My Dad began building in 1924, and we have kept on building ever since. And all of us are going to go on building forever."

The 87th Anniversary Leadership Award to New York City Planning Commission Chair Amanda M. Burden was presented by New York Building Congress President Richard T. Anderson and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Partner Marilyn Jordan Taylor, who said, "Amanda Burden's dedication to planning and design knows no bounds. Her creativity is reaching to every sector of New York City. With rezonings now exceeding 80 and planning programs underway in all five boroughs, we truly have a New York City Planning Commission and Department of City Planning that is serving the long range needs of our great City."

"In 2002 (when the Bloomberg administration began), the planning challenges in this city were formidable," said Commissioner Burden, noting the acute need for new housing and the thousands of acres of waterfront that lay fallow. "Mayor Bloomberg led us past recovery to one of the greatest construction booms in all five boroughs in this City's history. We could not have accomplished this without the Building Congress and the steadfast advocacy of Richard Anderson."

In presenting a Leadership Award to AFL-CIO of New York State President Denis Hughes, Teamsters Local Union # 282 president Gary LaBabera said, "There are no better words to describe Denis than passion and commitment. For Denis, this is more than a job. It's a vocation. He goes about his work with integrity and humility. He is the type of person that we all aspire to be."

Hughes used his acceptance to call for unity among the many arms of the building industry.

"I look to the experiences that we have had over the years where we built partnerships between labor, management, developers and planners. And we have an obligation to live up to that same potential today. Not a single one of us can do it alone.

"The success of one cannot result from the failure of another, and the labor movement is committed to being part of this critical partnership."

Tishman Construction chairman and CEO Daniel R. Tishman helped present the Leadership Award to Silverstein Properties President and CEO Larry A. Silverstein. Tishman said, "Larry is a leader of the highest order. He is a visionary, an innovator and a bold force in the real estate industry. He is currently building four more towers downtown, each of which would be noteworthy on its own. Taken together, however, they will help redefine the world's greatest skyline."

Silverstein used part of his acceptance to praise the architects, engineers, contractors and especially skilled labor, who have been instrumental in the rebuilding effort - from rescue and clean-up to design and construction. "When there is a will to do something important, it is amazing how people can coalesce and get it down. All of you deserve tremendous recognition for all that you have done. As we speak, the World Trade Center is being rebuilt. And it will be built by 10,000 union workers before it's done."

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The executive co-chairmen for the luncheon were Edwin L. Christian of International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 14-14B; Jonathan D. Resnick of Jack Resnick & Sons, Frank J. Sciame of F.J. Sciame Construction Company and Dominick M. Servedio of STV Group and current Chairman of the New York Building Congress.

The New York Building Congress is a non-partisan public policy coalition of business, labor, association and governmental organizations representing the design, construction and real estate interests of more than 250,000 individuals. More information on policies, programs and events is available at www.buildingcongress.com.