The Queens Chamber of Commerce honored 17 outstanding construction projects at its 2019 Annual Building Awards Gala on Oct. 3 at the recently opened TWA Hotel at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
More than 400 business, government and community leaders were in attendance at the annual event, which recognizes excellence in the construction and design of building projects in Queens.
“Thank you all for continuing to make this borough grow,” said guest of honor Melanie LaRocca, New York City Department of Buildings Commissioner. “Queens is booming, and your good business is our good business.”
Special guests included Borough President Melinda Katz, Councilmen Donovan Richards (D-Far Rockaway), Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) and Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), New York State Assembly members David Weprin (D-Fresh Meadows) and Alicia Hyndman (D-St. Albans), and Commissioner of NYC Department of Small Businesses Gregg Bishop.
The TWA Hotel, which opened in May of this year, is the culmination of years of work to restore the landmark TWA Flight Center, designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen, which was honored by the Queens Chamber at their Annual Building Awards Gala in 1962.
Tyler Morse, CEO and managing partner of MCR and MORSE Development, owner and developer of the TWA Hotel, delivered the keynote address on the vision behind the TWA Hotel.
“Eero Saarinen would have been proud that the Queens Chamber’s 2019 Annual Building Awards were held in his cathedral to aviation — and that the community has infused its new restaurants, shops and event spaces with such energy,” said Morse.
Thomas Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, said the TWA Hotel is an architectural marvel, and the perfect sit for the Building Awards gala.
“In celebrating and encouraging excellence in building design, which is so evidently on display here tonight, we at the Queens Chamber hope also to encourage the economic and cultural growth that makes our borough such a vibrant place to live, raise a family and do business,” Grech said.
The 2019 Building Award winners are as follows:
(Construction Award Winners)
(Commercial)
- LaGuardia Gateway Partners for Eastern Concourse, Terminal B, LaGuardia Airport
(Hotels & Motels)
- TWA Hotel
- Owner – MCR and MORSE Development
- Architects – Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP and LUBRANO CIAVARRA Architects
- Builder – Turner Construction Company
(Mixed Use – Residential/Commercial/Industrial)
- Alvista Towers
Owner – 94th Avenue, Jamaica LLC
Architect – GF55 Partners
Builder – Artimus Construction
(Single & Two Family Residences)
- Yu Residence
- Owner – Xin Jian Yu / Min Qiu
- Architect – Paul W Athineos
- Builder – Yan Chun Lin
(Health Care Related Facilities)
- Northwell Health Laboratories – Little Neck Parkway
- Owner – Betty Sarmiento
- Architect – Flad Architects
- Builder – Antonio Cabrera of Hunter Roberts Construction Group
(Interior Design Award Winners)
(Commercial)
- Bohack Square
- Owner – Alex Ligas
- Architect – Sotir Associates
- Builder and Interior Designer – Elli NY Design Corp.
(Mixed Use – Residential/Commercial/Industrial)
- The Delson
- Owner – TSINY 163rd Street Housing Development Fund Corporation
- Architect – Amie Gross Architects
- Builder – Racanelli Construction Co, Inc.
(Single & Two Family Residences)
- O’Byrne Residence
- Owner – Daniel and Mary O’Byrne
- Architect – Kevin Wolfe Architect, PC
- Builder – Heirloom Woodworking
(Rehabilitation, Readaptive Use Alteration, Or Addition Award Winners)
(Commercial)
- TWA Hotel
- Owner – MCR and MORSE Development
- Architects – Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP and LUBRANO CIAVARRA Architects
- Builder – Turner Construction Company
(Health Care Related)
- St. John’s Episcopal Hospital
- Owner – Episcopal Health Services
- Architect – Samir Rejeili
- Builder – Michael Fennessy of The Shannon Group
(Mixed Use – Residential/Commercial/Industrial)
- Sussman-Automatic Corporation
- Owner – 34th Street L.I.C. Realty Co., LLC
- Architect – Tom Kundig
- Builder – Patrick Muecke of Muecke, Inc.
(Office Building)
- Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1056
- Owner – Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1056
- Architect – Joshua Zinder, AIA
- Builder – Augustino D. D’Alonzo Jr.
(Schools & Colleges)
- Electrical Industry Training Center (EITC)
- Owner – Educational and Cultural Trust Fund of the Electrical Industry
- Architect – Gensler
- Builder – JIBEI
(Single & Two Family Residences)
- Build it Back Housing
- Owner – Samnarain Sooperpersaid
- Architect – Angelo Costa
- Builder – Michael Dubb
(Industrial)
- Alphapointe
- Owner – Alphapointe
- Architect – Joel Miele, Jr., P.E., / Benjamin Leonardi, R.A.
- Builder – Stephen Paolino of JPC Contracting Inc.
(Landscape Design, Courtyards, Plazas)
- O’Byrne Residence
- Owner – Daniel and Mary O’Byrne
- Architect – Kevin Wolfe Architect, PC
- Builder – New Creations Landscapes, Inc.
(OPEN OR ENCLOSED PUBLIC SPACE WINNERS)
(Commercial)
- TWA Hotel
- Owner – MCR and MORSE Development
- Architects – Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP and LUBRANO CIAVARRA Architects
- Builder – Turner Construction Company
