Elevator World New York March Newsletter

Volume 61 | March 2024

ELEVATOR WORLD New York is EW's free monthly newsletter focusing on vertical-transportation news in the Greater New York Region. Contact the EW Editorial Department to submit news or the EW Advertising Department to advertise and reach more than 5,000 subscribers in the New York area.

March 2024

DTM MOVES TO SPACIOUS NEW MANHATTAN LOCATION

DTM Drafting & Consulting Services, Inc., has moved from the College Point neighborhood of Queens to spacious new offices in the historic, 38-story, 1.2 million-ft² Equitable Building in Manhattan's Financial District. DTM President Nick Montesano tells ELEVATOR WORLD the new location at 120 Broadway, Suite 3654, essentially quadruples the amount of space the vertical-transportation consultancy had in the previous location. DTM employs approximately 30 people, and the new space has allowed it to consolidate its offices and bring all employees under one roof, ensuring efficient communication and better facilitating the family aspect of the business, now in its third generation. DTM now has a conference room where staff can host clients and vendors, and is strictly located in Manhattan, negating the need to commute to and from College Point. Look for a story about the new headquarters in a future issue of EW!

DTM's new offices are in the Equitable Building, which, upon completion in 1915, was the largest office building in the world by floor area; image by Fletcher6 for Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0.

HYPERION HOSTS OPEN HOUSE FOR COMBINED MCINTOSH, TITAN FACILITY

Memphis, Tennessee-headquartered Hyperion Solutions, a provider of systems, components and digital solutions for the vertical-transportation industry, hosted an open house on March 7 to showcase the expanded, relocated facility of McIntosh Industries Inc. and Torin Machine Corp. in Hillside, New Jersey. Celebrating their 50th and 35th anniversaries, respectively, Titan and McIntosh now boast a combined 15,000-ft² machine shop. Titan machines were prominently displayed, and representatives of all Hyperion-owned companies were in attendance, as were Titan founder Carlos Escobar's son, Carlos Escobar, and McIntosh founder Peter McIntosh and son Pete McIntosh. The Hyperion family of brands also includes Elevator Equipment Corporation, EMI Porta, LiftNet, Texacone, Vator Accessories and ZZIPCO. "It was fantastic catching up with old friends and making new connections, all while commemorating these significant milestones," Titan Machine stated. "Here's to 50 years of Titan's innovation and 35 years of McIntosh's excellence! Your support has been a driving force behind our success." — reported by ELEVATOR WORLD Correspondent Matthew Jackson

Guests chat during the open house.

Titan machines were on prominent display.

OTIS ELEVATOR SYSTEM FOR NEW GOOGLE ST. JOHN'S TERMINAL HQ

Otis tells ELEVATOR WORLD it provided an elevator system for Google's new 12-story St. John's Terminal headquarters (HQ) that includes 24 SkyRise^® passenger elevators (four banks of six), four service elevators and two event elevators with all-glass cabs that serve floors one through four. The system also includes Compass^® 360 destination-dispatch, and all cars incorporate air-purification technology. Google held a ribbon-cutting on February 21 to celebrate the opening of the new HQ at 550 Washington Street in Hudson Square, Manhattan, outlets including New York YIMBY reported. The event drew New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Google President Americas and Global Business Sean Downey, among other luminaries. Designed by COOKFOX Architects and developed by Oxford Properties, the 1.2 million-ft² project involved the adaptive reuse of a 90-year-old freight terminal. Google said reusing the old terminal building avoided emitting 78,400 t of carbon dioxide. Sustainable features include on-site solar arrays, a rainwater retention system and approximately 1.5 acres of greenery consisting of 95% native New York plant species. The facility is designed to hold 3,000 employees, who will enjoy views of the Midtown and Lower Manhattan skylines, and the Hudson River, depending on where they are situated.

Interiors that include two auditoriums were designed by Gensler; photo by Michael Young for New York YIMBY.

CLARKSON + VARICK NAMES KIRLES GIRGIS DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING

National vertical-transportation consultancy Clarkson + Varick recently named Kirles Girgis director of engineering. With more than 10 years' experience in national leadership roles at Schindler and consulting firm Lerch Bates, Girgis will be leading Clarkson + Varick's team of engineers and architects nationwide. Girgis' career includes nearly nine years with Schindler, during which he held roles including new installation specialist and project manager — overseeing International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 1 members as they installed 14 elevators for the expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan. He holds both bachelor's and master's degrees from the New Jersey Institute of Technology in mechanical engineering, as well as Professional Engineer certification from the State of New York. Girgis is based at Clarkson + Varick's NYC headquarters.

PS MARCATO MODERNIZES ELEVATOR SYSTEM FOR REPOSITIONED MADISON SQUARE PARK BUILDING

360 Park Avenue; image courtesy of PropertyShark

Andrew Trapani, vice president of Long Island City-headquartered PS Marcato Elevator Co. Inc., tells ELEVATOR WORLD the company is wrapping up a complete modernization of a nine-elevator system serving 360 Park Avenue South, a historic, 20-story office building that has been revitalized and repositioned by Boston Properties. Located in the Madison Square Park neighborhood, the property boasts a wealth of amenities, including a rooftop garden, an auditorium, conference rooms and lounges. Nine elevator cars across two elevator banks and one freight elevator serving all floors are now outfitted with a destination-dispatch system, and cab interiors have been completely redone, Trapani said. In February, all elevators had passed their tests and PS Marcato was completing punch list work. Suppliers involved in the project included Elite Elevators, Motion Control Engineering and Monitor Controls.

NEW BRONX CHAMBER HONORS START FOUNDER O'SHEA DURING IRISH HERITAGE CELEBRATION

The New Bronx Chamber of Commerce honored Start Elevator founder and President John O'Shea during the chamber's Irish Heritage Celebration on March 15. Start thanked Chamber Chair Anthony Mormile and Vice Chairman John Bonizio for the recognition, stating that the company "looks forward to continuing to support the Chamber of Commerce and their member community for many years to come." Serving some of the Tri-State Area's most prominent property owners, Start Elevator was founded in 1992 and has approximately 85 employees. The family-owned company has handled repair jobs with budgets as low as a few thousand dollars to major modernization and new-construction projects with price tags as large as US$6 million. Look for more in ELEVATOR WORLD soon about Start Elevator.

(l-r) Anthony Mormile, John O'Shea and John Bonizio; image courtesy of Start Elevator via LinkedIn

TEI GROUP TO MODERNIZE THREE ELEVATORS AT UES RESIDENTIAL TOWER

TEI Group announced in March developer Jack Resnick & Sons awarded it a contract to modernize three passenger elevators at 401 East 80th Street on the Upper East Side (UES). Designed by architect Philip Birnbaum & Associates and completed in 1980, the 36-story, 421-ft property is known as Gracie Mews, "the quintessential UES residence offering superb amenities, luxury finishes, spectacular views" and more, according to Jack Resnick & Sons. In addition to its high-speed elevators, Gracie Mews features an entrance with a 200-ft living green wall, a landscaped plaza with a sculpture by renowned artist Tony Rosenthal, a 24-h concierge, a pool and a private rooftop club.

Gracie Mews lobby; image courtesy of Jack Resnick & Sons

CARLO NAMED VP OF SERVICE OPERATIONS AT CENTENNIAL ELEVATOR INDUSTRIES

Anthony Carlo, who boasts a nearly 40-year career in the elevator industry, was recently named vice president (VP) of service operations at Astoria, Queens-based Centennial Elevator Industries, Inc. He joined Centennial from KONE, where he was a general manager in the NYC area. Carlo previously was a regional field operations manager for Fujitec, and held roles including operations service manager and elevator mechanic at TK Elevator for 26 years. Carlo's licenses and certifications include elevator inspector with the NYC Department of Buildings, OSHA 10, 30 and 501 certification; and Qualified Elevator Inspector with NAESA International. In announcing his new position, Carlo said he began his career with a small, independent company and is happy to return to his roots.

INDUSTRY VETERAN LYPEN JOINS START ELEVATOR IN NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Elevator industry veteran Christine Lypen joined Bronx-based Start Elevator in March in new business development in the NYC and New Jersey areas. Lypen comes to Start from a seven-and-a-half-year career at Pride & Service Elevator where she directed new business development. Prior to that, she was vice president of sales and marketing at TEI Group for nearly 16 years. She began her elevator-industry career as an account executive at New York Elevator, where she worked for nearly 13 years. Skilled in negotiation, budgeting, business planning, operations management and customer service, Lypen graduated from City University of New York-John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

OTIS VT SYSTEM FOR NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE BUILDING IN HARLEM

Otis tells ELEVATOR WORLD it provided a complete vertical-transportation (VT) system for the unique, mixed-use National Urban League building in Harlem, a 141,000-f^t2 property that opened its doors in late February at 121 West 125th Street. The system includes three Gen2^® Peak^TM elevators, seven Gen2 Edge^TM elevators and two third-party freight elevators, as well as four escalators. In a March 7 article, the Commercial Observer observed the building will serve as new headquarters for the nonprofit, which focuses on Black homeownership, workforce development and education. Developed by The Prusik Group, BRP Cos., L+M Development Partners and Taconic Partners and designed by Bleyer Binder Belle, the building has a six-story office podium along 125th Street, and a 17-story residential tower on the north side facing 126th Street. Upper floors along 125th will include an urban civil rights museum, which, along with the commercial area, is set to open in spring 2025.

The National Urban League building, designed by Beyer Blinder Belle; image courtesy of Otis

SEVEN-ELEVATOR SCHINDLER SYSTEM FOR CITY'S SEVENTH ALOFT HOTEL

Future Aloft hotel at Hudson Yards, designed by DSM Design Group; image courtesy of BLDUP

Schindler tells ELEVATOR WORLD it provided five S7000 passenger and two S7000 service elevators to 450 Eleventh Avenue at Hudson Yards directly across from the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. According to BLDUP, Marx Development Group obtained a US$187.5-million loan from Madison Realty Capital and Cerberus Capital Management to complete the 51-story tower, which will be an Aloft hotel and likely geared toward business travelers. It will be Aloft's seventh NYC location and the first within walking distance of Midtown Manhattan. Also boasting a business center, a ballroom, a restaurant and a bar with an outdoor terrace, the property topped out in 2021 (NY Newsletter, December 2021), and a majority of its curtain wall has already been installed.

TEI AWARDED CONTRACT FOR ELEVATORS AT BROOKLYN AMBULATORY HUB

TEI Group announced on March 8 it was awarded a contract by general contractor Suffolk Construction Co. to install three overhead traction passenger, one hydraulic passenger and two overhead gearless traction service elevators at the New York University Langone Health (NYULH) Brooklyn Ambulatory Hub at 5423 1st Avenue. NYULH consists of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, both part of NYU with more than 300 locations throughout the NYC metropolitan area. TEI said its team "looks forward to providing our best for this customer."

MID-AMERICAN PROVIDES THREE ELEVATORS FOR MTA'S TREMONT STATION

Family-owned and operated Mid-American Elevator, Chicago's largest independent elevator company, provided three new elevators to the NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to enhance accessibility at the Bronx's Tremont Avenue subway station, MTA tells ELEVATOR WORLD. With Tully Construction Co. Inc. as general contractor, work also included reconstructed staircases and new platform edges to bring the station into full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Bronx Times reported that one elevator takes riders between the street and mezzanine, and two travel between the mezzanine and platforms for the B and D trains. The elevators are equipped with fire alarms, cameras and an emergency two-way communication system that boasts auditory and visual communication for those with speech or hearing disabilities. The Tremont Avenue station became the second fully accessible station in 2024, following the Beach 67th station in Queens, according to MTA.

New elevator at MTA's Tremont Avenue station; photo by Marc Hermann for MTA

KONE ELEVATORS FOR TWO MID-RISE BUILDINGS IN BROOKLYN AND QUEENS

KONE tells ELEVATOR WORLD it provided two MonoSpace^® 500 elevators and one MonoSpace 500 elevator at 437 Euclid Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn, and 132-77 Metropolitan Avenue in Kew Gardens, Queens, respectively. The Euclid Avenue property is Euclid Glenmore, designed by Urban Architectural Initiatives and developed by The Lantern Organization and Mega Contracting Group, New York YIMBY reported in February. It houses 135 residences. The Metropolitan Avenue property is The Metropolitan senior apartments designed by Angelo Ng + Anthony Ng and developed by Steven Li with 40 residences. Both buildings are eight stories and launched affordable housing lotteries in February.

IN MEMORIAM: FELIX A. MERCADO

Walsh Associates, Ltd., a Manhattan-headquartered elevator consultancy and witnessing agency, announced that beloved colleague and friend Felix A. Mercado passed away on February 19 at the age of 60. During a 38-year career in the elevator industry, Mercado worked in new construction, elevator modernization and consulting at Millar Elevator, Schindler, City Elevator and Walsh Associates. He was a proud member of the International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 1 of New York and New Jersey, and was very grateful for the people with whom he worked in the union, according to Walsh. Giove Funeral Home in Selden on Long Island handled services.

UPCOMING EVENTS

ECNY Supplier Showcase

Villa Barone Manor, Bronx

April 10, 2024

For more information, visit website.

NAEC Spring Educational Conference

Miramar, Florida

April 14-17, 2024

For more information, visit website.

International Elevator & Escalator Symposium

Paradise Island
Bahamas

November 12-13, 2024

For more information, visit website.

Editorial submissions, reprint permission requests and subscription/removal requests should be sent to the ELEVATOR WORLD Editorial Department. EW New York editorial staff: Angela C. Baldwin, Kaija Wilkinson, Kathleen Farrell and Lindsay Fletcher. The EW Editorial Calendar can be downloaded here. ELEVATOR WORLD New York is a registered trademark, and all rights are reserved. Copyright 2024 © Elevator World, Inc.