LMCCC Executive Director Robert Harvey presented to CB1 on Monday

Speaking to Community Board 1 this week, officials from the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center (LMCCC) presented an update on the state of rebuilding south of Canal Street, along with several updates on the agency’s own initiatives.

Among the agency’s tasks, the LMCCC’s extensive coordination for the dozens of downtown projects has saved more than $300 million, averaging as much $9 million per month. These totals include savings resulting from traffic management for construction deliveries, street closure mitigation that impacts business access, and project permit coordination among city agencies.

To view the complete presentation click here.

Executive Director Robert Harvey presented the update to the World Trade Center (WTC) committee, which included a look back at 2009 statistics. Over the past 12 months, Harvey explained that more than 3,800 permit violations were issued downtown, through city agencies, with the LMCCC helping to mitigate issues. Weekly and monthly meetings held at the LMCCC’s offices help reduce permit violations, as well as resolve issues created by multiple projects active in close proximity to each other -- such as construction access at 130 Cedar, 130 Liberty, and 123 Washington just south of the WTC site.

The agency also leads a Fraud Prevention program, and helps ensure workforce diversity by hosting events for women- and minority-owned entrepreneurs through its Opportunity Downtown program.

Its Environmental Compliance program has succeeded in reducing air pollution downtown, lowering the amount of airborne particulates stemming from construction emissions. A recent report on Lower Manhattan air quality detailed that drop in pollution.

With the Port Authority and Silverstein Properties still in arbitration over the future of the WTC’s redevelopment, Harvey explained that trucking, materials, and labor demand is not as high as expected at this time. But construction on several dozen other public and private projects -- including “mega projects” like the Fulton Street Transit Center, and skyscrapers like 76-story Beekman Tower -- still require much coordination to keep projects moving. Harvey said that depending on WTC progress, “peak” construction downtown will arrive mid-to-late 2011.

To help with communication efforts at the LMCCC, Harvey also said that the LowerManhattan.info website will soon feature a revised “4D” construction map that forecasts rebuilding progress. That map is expected to debut in the first quarter of 2010.

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