A new report released by the Center for an Urban Future found significant flaws in how New York City manages capital projects for libraries and cultural institutions.
These projects encounter “staggering delays and exorbitant costs” the report says. The median new library and cultural project takes about seven years to complete and costs $930 per square foot, or roughly twice the cost of building a new office tower in the city, the report says.
The report, a joint project with the Citizens Budget Commission, analyzed 144 capital projects for libraries and cultural organizations completed between fiscal years 2010 and 2014. All were managed by the city’s Department of Design and Construction (DDC).
The report found that even seemingly routine maintenance projects end up taking years. For instance, the median mechanical system upgrade—including replacement and installation of fire alarms, boilers, and heating/cooling systems—took 4.3 years to complete. The study also found that when institutions are granted permission to self-manage capital projects, which is allowed on rare occasions, the projects typically take a fraction of the time and cost roughly 40% less.
Related Stories
| Sep 18, 2014
Master Painter Institute approves 55 new paint products
The Master Painter Institute has issued approvals for 55 new paint products.
| Sep 18, 2014
OSHA announces new requirements for reporting deaths and severe injuries
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced a final rule requiring employers to notify OSHA when an employee is killed on the job or suffers a work-related hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye.
| Sep 18, 2014
Eugene, Ore., passes ordinance to achieve steep energy consumption reductions
The Eugene, Ore., City Council recently passed an ordinance aimed at steeply reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
| Sep 10, 2014
Nine out of 10 New York City building plans fail energy code test
Earlier this year, New York City's Department of Buildings began auditing thousands of architectural plans for new and renovated office and residential buildings.
| Sep 10, 2014
AIA, CSI, and NIBS publish updated national CAD standard, includes new BIM module
The NCS helps architects, constructors and operators coordinate efforts by classifying electronic design data consistently and making information retrieval easier, the industry groups say.
| Sep 10, 2014
Perry named new director of OSHA’s Standards and Guidance Directorate
Bill Perry has been named new director of the OSHA’s Directorate of Standards and Guidance, effective Aug. 24, 2014.
| Sep 10, 2014
ASHRAE proposes verification for energy standard
The ASHRAE/IES energy standard would have multiple compliance options to ensure verification of delivered building envelope performance under a new proposal.
| Sep 2, 2014
Micro-apartment concept can’t get traction in Boston suburb
Micro-apartments are gaining acceptance in nearby Boston and in places such as San Francisco and New York, but Weymouth, Mass., officials and neighbors were not receptive to a proposal for tiny dwellings this summer.
| Sep 2, 2014
Montreal borough leader urges city to issue green roof guidelines
The mayor of Montreal's Saint-Laurent borough wants Quebec's housing authority to speed up its plan to publish construction guidelines for green roofs.
| Sep 2, 2014
Proposed federal rules would create more stringent healthcare facility safety rules
A key change is a requirement that buildings over 75 feet tall have sprinkler systems throughout the structure. Existing buildings would have 12 years to install them.