New York City’s Javits Center Celebrated for Driving Sustainability Through Innovation

New York—The national Engineering & Public Works Roadshow today celebrated New York City’s Javits Center, a beacon of innovation in sustainable practices.

The press conference atop the Javits Center was held in conjunction with the annual Nest Climate Campus, an event partner for the 2024 Climate Week NYC initiative.

The Javits Center’s heralded seven-acre green roof – serving as a sanctuary for birds, bats, and insects – and a one-acre rooftop farm that features beehives, up to 50 grown crops each year, and rainwater tanks used for irrigation – are successful examples of forward-thinking integration of green, sustainable infrastructure among densely populated urban landscapes.

“Thank you to the Engineering & Public Works Roadshow for this recognition of Javits Center’s commitment to sustainability,” said Alan Steel, Javits Center President & CEO. “Our primary goal is always to create jobs and strengthen the local economy – and we are focused on leveraging sustainable infrastructure and operations to be somewhere people are proud to work. From the renovation of the south building to the expansion of North Javits, every decision was made through a sustainable lens to create the framework to reach our goal of net zero emissions. Javits is proud to serve as a model of what can be accomplished with sustainable practices.”

The Nest Climate Campus each year draws thousands of organizations and businesses to the Javits Center to share innovative ideas addressing climate concerns and to spotlight the facility’s practices.

“Siemens has proudly been a technology partner to the Javits Center for nearly four decades – providing the critical building infrastructure that allows the center to run efficiently, safely and sustainably,” said Barbara Humpton, CEO, Siemens USA. “With sustainability becoming a critical focus for the center, Javits is modeling how to transform our buildings. Imagine applying these innovations across our built environment – from hospitals to airports, universities, and factories – and the impact this would have in achieving net-zero targets.”

The Engineering and Public Works Roadshow is the first time the leading organizations representing the designers and public operators of America’s infrastructure – the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), the American Public Works Association (APWA), and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) – have joined together to shine a spotlight on what successful infrastructure investment means for the nation’s economy, jobs, the environment, and our future.

“As we recruit the engineers of tomorrow to find innovative solutions to the world’s problems, the Javits Center has created a blueprint for all future projects to follow, those which account for all species and contribute to a healthier environment for us to enjoy,” said Marsia Geldert-Murphey, P.E., ASCE President. “ASCE recently unveiled the first-ever building standard for sustainable infrastructure, ASCE 73, to provide a framework for infrastructure owners to follow so that their projects incorporate sustainable practices, like the Javits Center, into their designs. We need to be thinking about the next 50-100 years, rather than just the immediate future.”

“Ingenuity fuels development and beautiful projects like this. However, the maintenance and upkeep of something this special requires the talent of many professionals and that is where public works shines,” said APWA President Dominick A. Longobardi. “This is a public works project from start to finish and after as well because it highlights sustainability and the re-imagining of available space for future generations.”

The Javits Center has also committed to using renewable energy sources and reducing its carbon footprint, as the facility has decreased its energy consumption by 26% over the past 10 years. In 2020, the building installed a 13 megawatt (MW) microgrid and currently boasts the largest solar array and battery storage system in Manhattan. Current battery storage capacity would allow the Javits Center to run entirely off stored energy for six consecutive days.

As the federal government continues to implement the monumental Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the engineering and public works professions must expand their current workforces. It is imperative that students nationwide are educated on the rewarding careers of civil engineering and public works so that these professions have the necessary staffing to complete transformative and sustainable projects like the Javits Center.