On December 7, 2009 New York University’s program in music technology unveiled a new state-of-the-art music technology facility, a 7,500 SF multifunctional teaching, recording, and research space.  The new complex is distinguished by the James L. Dolan Music Recording Studio, a 25-seat control/classroom which features a fully automated 48 channel SSL console and the first Dangerous Music 10.2 surround installation in New York City. The facility includes a live performance room large enough to accommodate a small orchestra, several research laboratories, offices, a conference/seminar room and a large iso/drum booth.

One of the most technologically advanced audio teaching facilities in the United States, the new facility greatly enhances the existing 12 studios which house the music technology program of NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Internationally recognized, the music technology program at NYU Steinhardt prepares undergraduate and graduate students for successful careers in sound engineering, computer music, audio-visual production and post-production, mastering, scoring for film and multimedia, audio for games, software development, and multimedia production.

Check out the NYU Music Technology Facility Audio Slide Show at:

http://vimeo.com/8033530

Woodbury, NY…October 29, 2009… E.W. Howell, one of the region’s leading general contracting and construction management firms broke ground this week on its ninth construction project for the giant do-it- yourself retailer Lowe’s.  Staten Island Borough President James P. Molinaro joined E.W. Howell and Lowe’s executives as the first shovelful of dirt was unearthed at 661 Veterans Road West in Staten Island.  E.W. Howell Vice President of Business Development Dominic Paparo Jr. made the announcement.

“We are proud to be a valued partner with one of the largest home improvement retailers in the world,” said Mr. Paparo. “Long term associations of the kind Howell enjoys with Lowe’s are a hallmark of our success, and an objective in all of our relationships.”

The new building, which is slated to be completed in the late fall of 2010, will feature 117,000 SF of retail space with an additional 22,000 SF garden center.  In addition to this latest project, E.W. Howell has constructed Lowe’s stores in Garden City, NY; Brooklyn (Gowanus), NY; Union, NJ; Farmingdale, NY, Hicksville, NY, Clarkstown, NY, West Bay Shore, NY and Stony Brook, NY.  Howell is also under contract to build new stores in Brooklyn at Kings Plaza, and in Rosedale, Queens.

E.W. Howell has carved a strong presence into the retail construction market, having constructed more than a dozen stores in the New York area for Target over the last decade, and recently built two Century 21 Department stores one in Rego Park, Queens and the other in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.  Other retail clients have included Costco Wholesale, Barnes & Noble, AMC Theaters.

 Having earned a reputation for expertise, integrity and reliability over the course of more than one hundred years in the business, E.W. Howell is one of the most respected construction firms working in the New York metropolitan region.  With offices in Manhattan and on Long Island, E. W. Howell has a distinguished history of diverse, quality projects and satisfied customers in New York City’s five boroughs, Long Island, Northern New Jersey, the Lower Hudson Valley (NY) and Southern Connecticut.  For more information please visit www.ewhowell.com.

Photo caption:  E. W. Howell Breaks Ground on New Lowe’s Home Improvement Store   E. W. Howell’s Vice President of Business Development Dominic Paparo Jr. (left) and Project Executive Michael Johneas flank Staten Island Borough President James P. Molinaro at groundbreaking ceremony for Lowe’s.  E.W. Howell is building the new 117,000 SF store, its ninth construction project in the New York area for the do-it-yourself giant.

The Greenburgh Public Library has received an Award of Merit by New York Construction News for its 46,000-square-foot building with a curved roof and 40-foot-high glass foyer overlooking Route 119.  Construction of the $20.2 million project began in 2007. The library offers more than 50 public computers, 16,000 volumes and about 450 programs a year.

The award is given for unique building projects across the tri-state region. Out of 150 judged, the 45 Best Projects of 2009 include the new Yankee Stadium, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and the Brooklyn Children's Museum.

Click here to see the full list of project winners.

E.W. Howell, one of the region’s leading general contracting and construction management firms, was notified last week that the Howell-built Manhattanville CollegeLEED Gold certification.  Completed in March of 2008, the 35,000 square foot building is the third built by Howell to receive LEED certification, and the first to earn the Gold designation. The Student Center is the tenth LEED Gold building to be constructed in New York State under Version 2.1. Student Center for the Creative Arts has received

            “The exacting standards of LEED Gold certification must be met throughout the design and construction process,” explained E. W. Howell President Howard Rowland.  “A high level of expertise, careful attention to detail and scrupulous oversight of the building process is essential to meet these prerequisites.  The construction phase is the realization of the architect’s vision and is what ultimately determines the LEED certification.”

            Achieving LEED certification required the design team and E. W. Howell to consider LEED-specific requirements, options and documentation.  Designed by Peter Gisolfi Associates, the Manhattanville project utilizes environmentally sustainable building materials and innovative construction strategies that conserve the Center’s overall energy and water use and reduce its operational costs.  During construction E.W. Howell was able to divert 94 percent of all wastes from landfill disposal, utilized 18-percent recycled products and purchased 23.2 percent of project materials from regional sources. Fifty-two percent of the wood used came from certified forests, and low VOC paints, adhesives and sealants, as well as Green Label plus carpeting were also used.  Solar collectors generate 13 percent of the building’s electricity.
Fiver projects currently being built by E.W. Howell have been registered with the USGBC with a certification goal of LEED silver of higher, including the 43,000 square foot Advanced Energy Research Laboratory on the SUNY Stony Brook campus.  Designed to achieve platinum certification, the state-of-the-art facility will conduct research on alternative fuels and energy conservation.

 “LEED certified buildings typically use resources more efficiently and provide healthier work and living environments, which contributes to higher productivity and improved health and comfort of those who work in and otherwise use the buildings,” added Rowland.

The 7th annual Benefit for a Friend golf outing will be held on September 21, 2009.  View invitation and additional info here.

Each spring, BD+C editors survey the country’s largest AEC firms in the nonresidential building industry. Companies are ranked across six categories—Architects (50), Architect/Engineers (50), Engineers (50), Engineer/Architects (50), Contractors (80), and Construction Managers (20)—based on the volume of commercial, institutional, industrial, and multifamily residential building work completed in 2008.  Contractors and construction managers are ranked on the value of construction put in place. For multi-year jobs, only work from the survey year applies. EWH made the list of Top 80 Contractors - view the list here.

 Long Island based contractor E.W. Howell Co., Inc. was recently awarded the New Replacement Correctional Facility in Yaphank, NY.   

This 318,000 SF project includes the main building, male detention center, and an administrative building.  The main building will be a one-story structural steel and masonry building and will include areas for booking, visitation, female housing, healthcare and mechanical rooms.  The male detention center will be a 2-story structural steel building, consisting of pre-fabricated concrete cells with a capacity to hold 360 prisoners.  The admi nistrative building will consist of an interior fit-out of the existing structure.

This $130 million project is the largest in size and scope for Suffolk County since the 1970’s, and comes at an important time for Long Island given the current state of the economy.  The project will utilize a local preference law and project labor agreement.  Sponsored by Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, it requires all labor to come from local sources.  The project will employ approximately 30 subcontractors and at the height of construction will employ 300 – 400 construction workers.

Wiedersum Associates Architects of Hauppauge, NY designed the correctional facility which will start in March 2009 and will take 2 ½ years to complete.

12/23/2008 – E.W. Howell Co., Inc. recently completed The Town of Greenburgh’s new library which opened to the public on December 15, 2008.  This project consisted of doubling the existing building’s square footage from 22,500 SF to 45,000 SF while upgrading the existing library to house a collection of 186,000 items, including books, periodicals, DVDs, videos, CDs and audio books.

 Although not LEED certified, the building has sustainable features including:

-          An underground closed loop Geothermal System which lowers day to day heating and cooling costs for a long term savings.

-          Automatically controlled lighting that dims the lights in the main reading room in the daytime and save electricity.

-          Local materials which helped to reduce trucking costs.

-          A lobby floor made from recycled rubber tires.

Beatty, Harvey & Associates designed the new library which includes 28-foot glass walls and a dramatic curving roofline on its new eastern wing, a 140-foot-long reading room, and a cantilevered canopied roof over the main entrance.

The prominent building is situated on a major traffic artery (I-287) in Westchester County, and after a 22-month renovation stands ready to offer programs to the Greenburgh community for years to come.

12/1/2008 – E.W. Howell Co., Inc. recently partnered with Target and New York Restoration Project on the Target East Harlem Community Garden.  Located at 415-417 East 117th Street, the garden is outfitted with wind turbines and solar panels which power the 5,000 square foot garden’s LED (Light-Emitting Diode) energy efficient lighting and a built-in irrigation system. A rainwater harve

sting system collects rainwater for gardeners to nourish healthy vegetable and flower beds throughout the growing season, reducing the garden’s dependence on local water supply and therefore reducing expenses. 

New York Restoration Project (NYRP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to reclaiming and restoring New York City parks, community gardens and open space.  Created by nationally acclaimed designer and television host Sean Conway the garden employs cutting-edge sustainable technology to eliminate dependence on outside energy.  Conway’s design provides the East Harlem community a truly green space in which to relax, garden and enjoy time outdoors.

E.W. Howell was eager to get involved with this project given their long standing relationship with Target.  Travis Salvo of E.W. Howell donated his time and services which included gathering donations from several local subcontractors.  Companies such as Ruttura & Sons Construction, Sunrise Electric, Owens Brothers, Kamco Supply Company, and Avon Contractors donated labor and materials, helping to make this project a success.

Once a vacant lot, the newly renovated garden allows members of the East Harlem community to access an optimal growing environment as well as a neighborhood green for hosting events.

10/20/08 – NEW YORK - On Monday October 20, 2008 the groundbreaking ceremony for Kaufman Astoria Studios' movie and TV stage took place and included guests such as Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sesame Street’s Elmo.

The 40,000-sq. ft. studio, dubbed Stage K, sits on 36th Street between 34th and 35th Avenues, right across from the main KAS complex where "Sesame Street" makes its home alongside such programs as ABC's "Life on Mars" and Showtime’s "Nurse Jackie."

E.W. Howell Co., a New York based contractor is the construction manager for the project, which is designed by Janson Design Group.  The Stage K building includes an 18,000 SF production studio with an estimated 22,000 SF for office space.

Dominic Paparo, Vice President of Business Development for E.W. Howell said, “We are thrilled about our involvement in such an exciting industry for NYC and our opportunity to construct an amazing studio for KAS.”

At the groundbreaking ceremony Mayor Michael Bloomberg emphasized the importance of the film and TV sectors to New York's economy, particularly amid an economic downturn.

The project is "an eagerly anticipated expansion" that will further strengthen the city's appeal, Bloomberg said.

"New York can compete with Hollywood like never before," he said.

This project is scheduled to be complete in the summer of 2009.