As a tribute to its 100th anniversary of serving the borough, the Queens Chamber of Commerce honored over 100 building owners, developers, architects, engineers and construction managers who have contributed to the aesthetic landscape of the borough at the 98th Annual Building Awards and Reception at the Queens Theatre in the Park.
Achievement awards were presented to those who shared in the development of 26 outstanding buildings in new construction and rehab categories on January 20. The Chamber also honored Frank Briguglio, president of Briguglio Construction, with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Briguglio Construction has been a member of the Queens Chamber since 1937 and has received numerous building awards over the years. The construction corporation was founded by Frank Briguglio, Sr. – who was also a Chamber member – and grew into a family legacy through Frank and his brother, Jack. The business is now run by his daughter, Christine, who Briguglio called “the engine that drives my business.”
“I want to thank all the wonderful people that work for the Chamber. The Chamber has been a great organization for as long as I can remember,” said Briguglio.
The New York Hospital Queens West Wing and the Police Crisis Command Center & Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Facility at LaGuardia Airport also received special honors as the newest inductees into the Queens Chamber Building Hall of Fame.
The two-story, 51,800-square-foot facility at LaGuardia Airport consolidates multiple dependent interactive commutation systems and houses all aircraft emergency-response units. The $74.3 million new building was constructed in conjunction with Donald Fram, FAIA and T. Moriarty and Son, Inc.
The new 190,000-square-foot wing to New York Hospital Queens – located at 56-45 Main Street in Flushing and built by Perkins Eastman Architects and Barr & Barr Builders – houses the Heart and Vascular Center and Ambulatory Surgery Center. The $210 million project introduces state of the art technology and serves over 250,000 patients annually.
“It’s the people of the borough of Queens that are really honored tonight,” said Stephen S. Mills, president and CEO of New York Hospital Queens. “They have some of the best facilities anywhere in the country and maybe the world.”
Numerous nominations for building awards were received, representing a wide range of projects and neighborhoods which were reviewed by an independent panel of architects, city planners, economic development experts and business leaders. The specific criteria included design excellence and innovation, economic impact, sustainability and contribution to the community.
All of the winners received a bronze plaque that they will be able to put in their building recognizing their honor.
