Mets fielding bids to work on new stadium

One month after over 200 applicants turned out for the Mets job forum calling for minority-, female- and locally-owned companies and workers to help build their new stadium, the team has received numerous submissions for individual jobs and contract work.
And the submissions keep on coming, said David Newman, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Mets.
&#8220There has been significant interest from potential vendors that wish to be associated with the new Mets ballpark, including those in the minority and women-owned business community, and that process is ongoing as we speak,” Newman said.
The Mets, when announcing plans for their new stadium, designated 25 percent of jobs and contracts for minority and female workers and an additional 25 percent to Queens-owned companies and local residents.
The first contract for the new stadium was awarded back in June to Urban Foundation/Engineering LLC in East Elmhurst, which was selected to excavate the site and lay the foundation for the new ballpark.
As of Thursday, September 14, the Mets had not set a deadline for when they would stop accepting submissions for additional jobs and contract work.
&#8220Certainly there is no shortage of people interested in pursuing this opportunity,” Newman said.
Jobs listed in the nine-page handout given to applicants, who attended the job forum two weeks ago and who requested the packet, included vendor opportunities for sellers of nets, screens, padding, foul poles, benches, and cubbies, subcontractor jobs to install signs in the stadium, and construction work to install the actual playing field. The Mets are also looking for a company to outfit the stadium with fire and smoke alarms.
For more information about the work, contact the Mets at 718-507-METS.
To aid the team, a construction advisory committee - comprised of local politicians including Borough President Helen Marshall and City Councilmember Leroy Comrie - was created.
Marshall is currently working on a way to involve more small contractors, which may have only a few workers but are eager for business, in the stadium's construction.
&#8220She is happy with the efforts of the Mets but would be even happier if a greater number of small contractors could be used,” said Dan Andrews, spokesperson for the Borough President. Andrews said that Marshall and the Committee will continue to meet with the Mets to ensure that as many small, locally owned, minority, and female workers and companies will be employed to build the stadium.