A Manhattan federal jury found a Canadian contractor guilty of defrauding a program to promote minority- and woman-owned businesses in the construction of the World Trade Center.
Prosecutors alleged that DCM Erectors and its owner Larry Davis used two minority firms as administrative fronts while DCM, in an attempt to avoid paying millions of dollars to minority firms, did all the work itself. The value of the steel work at the Freedom Tower and World Trade Center Transportation Hub projects was nearly $1 billion.
Lawyers for the company and Davis said they will appeal the verdict and that the minority firms did the work they were supposed to do on the projects. Prosecutors alleged that Davis falsified records to make it appear that minority contractors performed the work.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | May 3, 2024
New York City considering bill to prevent building collapses
The New York City Council is considering a proposed law with the goal of preventing building collapses. The Billingsley Structural Integrity Act is a response to the collapse of 1915 Billingsley Terrace in the Bronx last December.
Construction Costs | Apr 16, 2024
How the new prevailing wage calculation will impact construction labor costs
Looking ahead to 2024 and beyond, two pivotal changes in federal construction labor dynamics are likely to exacerbate increasing construction labor costs, according to Gordian's Samuel Giffin.
Affordable Housing | Apr 1, 2024
Biden Administration considers ways to influence local housing regulations
The Biden Administration is considering how to spur more affordable housing construction with strategies to influence reform of local housing regulations.
Affordable Housing | Apr 1, 2024
Chicago voters nix ‘mansion tax’ to fund efforts to reduce homelessness
Chicago voters in March rejected a proposed “mansion tax” that would have funded efforts to reduce homelessness in the city.
Legislation | Mar 21, 2024
Bill would mandate solar panels on public buildings in New York City
A recently introduced bill in the New York City Council would mandate solar panel installations on the roofs of all city-owned buildings. The legislation would require 100 MW of solar photovoltaic systems be installed on public buildings by the end of 2025.
Adaptive Reuse | Mar 15, 2024
San Francisco voters approve tax break for office-to-residential conversions
San Francisco voters recently approved a ballot measure to offer tax breaks to developers who convert commercial buildings to residential use. The tax break applies to conversions of up to 5 million sf of commercial space through 2030.
Affordable Housing | Mar 11, 2024
Los Angeles’s streamlined approval policies leading to boom in affordable housing plans
Since December 2022, Los Angeles’s planning department has received plans for more than 13,770 affordable units. The number of units put in the approval pipeline in roughly one year is just below the total number of affordable units approved in Los Angeles in 2020, 2021, and 2022 combined.
Green | Mar 5, 2024
New York City’s Green Economy Action Plan aims for building decarbonization
New York City’s recently revealed Green Economy Action Plan includes the goals of the decarbonization of buildings and developing a renewable energy system. The ambitious plan includes enabling low-carbon alternatives in the transportation sector and boosting green industries, aiming to create more than 12,000 green economy apprenticeships by 2040.
Affordable Housing | Feb 26, 2024
Biden-Harris Administration announces historic homelessness assistance funding
The Biden-Harris Administration allocation of $3.16 billion in homelessness assistance funding will be administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Continuum of Care Program.
Sustainability | Feb 26, 2024
GBBN's Inflation Reduction Act Calculator goes live
GBBN has publicly released its IRA Calculator, a tool that helps you understand funding opportunities in the IRA for sustainable design.
