VTMBH Article: Body
On the sunny morning of September 11, as most people were on their way to work, none of them could smell the disaster on its way, disguised as commercial jetliners.
Neither could Las Allen.
But when the World Trade Center collapsed, killing nearly 3,000 people, and creating more than one million tons of debris in and around the site, the theme for the day and ensuing weeks was complete chaos and horror.
That didnt stop Allens desire to help a city that had been shaken like no American city had been shaken before. His company, Ovan Construction, a Queens-based firm, rushed down to the scene, volunteering to help remove debris in hopes that lives and property could be saved.
But after that, he says, his services were no longer needed.
We have trucks, big machines, all of the equipment that they would need to do any removal, but we have never been afforded the opportunity to bid or anything, Allen said. We have tried several times since then to pitch in and be a part of the effort, but the last experience I had down there was when they asked me to send a trailer and when I did they told me it was a mistake.
<b>What About Us?</b>
Allens feelings reflect the widespread frustration and fear among new majority contractors, construction firms and others that the process of rehabilitating the former World Trade Center site might not be inclusive of businesses owned by people of color.
Unless the (Bloomberg) administration decides to turn things around, well be locked out of a $40 billion business opportunity, said Jim Heyliger, president of the Association of Minority Enterprises of New York, an advocacy group that includes large and small construction, contracting and demolition firms.
When September 11th first happened we voluntarily went down there, he said. We werent looking for anyone to pay us, but we have not been invited back at all. None of our major guys who do big work have gotten anything, said Heyliger. But if they called up tomorrow and asked us to help, no matter what they laid on the table, wed have someone who can do that work.
Heyliger explained that in order for there to be inclusion, there must be a mandate on the part of the agencies in charge of the site to ensure the participation of new majority firms, and said that AMENY planned to make inclusive procurement policy at Ground Zero an issue for the upcoming gubernatorial election.
<b>We Didnt Mean It</b>
But city agencies and companies that have participated in the demolition, and removal of debris so far said that the intention was never to shut out entrepreneurs of color and that emergency procurement meant calling the first available firms.
You have to put it in the context that is needs to be in, said Richard McEachern, community affairs director for Turner Construction which did demolition and recovery work on 7 World Trade Center. It was an emergency situation where you pick up a phone and call someone to get out there. He said there were new majority contractors used in the cleanup effort, but could not give a number of how many were on hand. McEachern said that Turner does have program in which minority companies make up 15 percent of work on a site, but is not sure about the companys further participation at Ground Zero.
The New York City Department of Design and Construction, which played a role in the demolition, recovery and removal effort at Ground Zero, said in this particular emergency situation, there was no procurement or bid program aimed at new majority firms.
"The emergency procurement rules were very narrow because we were working with enormous immediacy and urgency to remove the mountain of debris," said Matthew Monahan, spokesman for the DDC. "Our role ends with demolition and recovery, and we dont have a longer range or long term role."
<b>If Not Now, When?</b>
Many are dissatisfied with this response and are watching carefully to see what direction Ground Zero will take for new majority firms as plans develop to rebuild the site.
This council as well as other minority organizations is working diligently to ensure inclusion, said Lynda Ireland, president of the New York/New Jersey Minority Purchasing Council. She said that presently there is no reporting system in place for any of the agencies involved to show a level of new majority involvement, so it is difficult to put a percentage on what is good participation.
Ireland said that her organization has not set any goals for inclusion at the World Trade Center site because new construction has not begun there yet, meaning it is too early to tell.
Heyliger insists that there has been ample opportunity for government agencies to include new majority firms in the reconstruction of Lower Manhattan, but no outreach has yet been established.
He points out that the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation., an agency created solely to oversee the revitalization effort, has no representation on its board from members of AMENY or other advocacy groups like the New York State Association of Minority Contractors.
Repeated calls to the Empire State Development Corporation, parent agency of the LMDC, by The KIP Business Report were not returned.
<b>Political Pressure</b>
Advocates say that ensuring participation in the refurbishment of Ground Zero will take a strong relationship within the new majority business community among politicians who can then influence policy.
The solution would be with the political will, said Desmond Emanuel, president of Santa Fe construction, one of the largest Black-owned construction management and building contractors in the northeastern United States. You would need a group of elected officials who have the moxy to take this subject on as a charge and fight on behalf of the business community and be prepared to do it over the long haul.
Santa Fe itself has not participated in any of the activity at Ground Zero thus far, and does not see any prospect for large-scale minority inclusion unless there is such a policy set in place.
Denise Outram, general counsel for the office of Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields, said that Fields has long placed emphasis on this issue.
In December, the borough president testified before the city council that they had been bypassing the city rules for hiring minority contractors because it was an emergency situation, and there are provisions that allow for that, Outram said. But she said that it had been a few months and the real emergency had passed by and that it was time to get back to city procedures and emphasized that it was important to include minority contractors. So this is one of the key issues in out policy department, it will be an ongoing issue in our office.
It will also be the focus of the Minority Business Leadership Council, a coalition of business and trade associations that has been meeting with legislators and policy makers on the issue of making the playing field at Ground Zero a level one.
So far, the council has had four meetings and plans several more as the site develops.
Darryl Green, president of Darryl E. Green and Associates, is a key player in organizing contractors with regard to Ground Zero redevelopment. He said there is hope as involvement between minority businesses and the political community continues.
We have the full support of the minority members of the New York Congressional delegation, the Black, Puerto Rican and Hispanic Legislative Caucus of the New York State legislature and several members of the New York City Council in our pursuit of new policies regarding Ground Zero, he said. And are optimistic that we are on the verge of a much more productive future.
This is going to go on for years, said Heyliger. And I dont want minority vendors to be left out. Someone is going to be making money and people have been making money, why not us?
Neither could Las Allen.
But when the World Trade Center collapsed, killing nearly 3,000 people, and creating more than one million tons of debris in and around the site, the theme for the day and ensuing weeks was complete chaos and horror.
That didnt stop Allens desire to help a city that had been shaken like no American city had been shaken before. His company, Ovan Construction, a Queens-based firm, rushed down to the scene, volunteering to help remove debris in hopes that lives and property could be saved.
But after that, he says, his services were no longer needed.
We have trucks, big machines, all of the equipment that they would need to do any removal, but we have never been afforded the opportunity to bid or anything, Allen said. We have tried several times since then to pitch in and be a part of the effort, but the last experience I had down there was when they asked me to send a trailer and when I did they told me it was a mistake.
<b>What About Us?</b>
Allens feelings reflect the widespread frustration and fear among new majority contractors, construction firms and others that the process of rehabilitating the former World Trade Center site might not be inclusive of businesses owned by people of color.
Unless the (Bloomberg) administration decides to turn things around, well be locked out of a $40 billion business opportunity, said Jim Heyliger, president of the Association of Minority Enterprises of New York, an advocacy group that includes large and small construction, contracting and demolition firms.
When September 11th first happened we voluntarily went down there, he said. We werent looking for anyone to pay us, but we have not been invited back at all. None of our major guys who do big work have gotten anything, said Heyliger. But if they called up tomorrow and asked us to help, no matter what they laid on the table, wed have someone who can do that work.
Heyliger explained that in order for there to be inclusion, there must be a mandate on the part of the agencies in charge of the site to ensure the participation of new majority firms, and said that AMENY planned to make inclusive procurement policy at Ground Zero an issue for the upcoming gubernatorial election.
<b>We Didnt Mean It</b>
But city agencies and companies that have participated in the demolition, and removal of debris so far said that the intention was never to shut out entrepreneurs of color and that emergency procurement meant calling the first available firms.
You have to put it in the context that is needs to be in, said Richard McEachern, community affairs director for Turner Construction which did demolition and recovery work on 7 World Trade Center. It was an emergency situation where you pick up a phone and call someone to get out there. He said there were new majority contractors used in the cleanup effort, but could not give a number of how many were on hand. McEachern said that Turner does have program in which minority companies make up 15 percent of work on a site, but is not sure about the companys further participation at Ground Zero.
The New York City Department of Design and Construction, which played a role in the demolition, recovery and removal effort at Ground Zero, said in this particular emergency situation, there was no procurement or bid program aimed at new majority firms.
"The emergency procurement rules were very narrow because we were working with enormous immediacy and urgency to remove the mountain of debris," said Matthew Monahan, spokesman for the DDC. "Our role ends with demolition and recovery, and we dont have a longer range or long term role."
<b>If Not Now, When?</b>
Many are dissatisfied with this response and are watching carefully to see what direction Ground Zero will take for new majority firms as plans develop to rebuild the site.
This council as well as other minority organizations is working diligently to ensure inclusion, said Lynda Ireland, president of the New York/New Jersey Minority Purchasing Council. She said that presently there is no reporting system in place for any of the agencies involved to show a level of new majority involvement, so it is difficult to put a percentage on what is good participation.
Ireland said that her organization has not set any goals for inclusion at the World Trade Center site because new construction has not begun there yet, meaning it is too early to tell.
Heyliger insists that there has been ample opportunity for government agencies to include new majority firms in the reconstruction of Lower Manhattan, but no outreach has yet been established.
He points out that the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation., an agency created solely to oversee the revitalization effort, has no representation on its board from members of AMENY or other advocacy groups like the New York State Association of Minority Contractors.
Repeated calls to the Empire State Development Corporation, parent agency of the LMDC, by The KIP Business Report were not returned.
<b>Political Pressure</b>
Advocates say that ensuring participation in the refurbishment of Ground Zero will take a strong relationship within the new majority business community among politicians who can then influence policy.
The solution would be with the political will, said Desmond Emanuel, president of Santa Fe construction, one of the largest Black-owned construction management and building contractors in the northeastern United States. You would need a group of elected officials who have the moxy to take this subject on as a charge and fight on behalf of the business community and be prepared to do it over the long haul.
Santa Fe itself has not participated in any of the activity at Ground Zero thus far, and does not see any prospect for large-scale minority inclusion unless there is such a policy set in place.
Denise Outram, general counsel for the office of Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields, said that Fields has long placed emphasis on this issue.
In December, the borough president testified before the city council that they had been bypassing the city rules for hiring minority contractors because it was an emergency situation, and there are provisions that allow for that, Outram said. But she said that it had been a few months and the real emergency had passed by and that it was time to get back to city procedures and emphasized that it was important to include minority contractors. So this is one of the key issues in out policy department, it will be an ongoing issue in our office.
It will also be the focus of the Minority Business Leadership Council, a coalition of business and trade associations that has been meeting with legislators and policy makers on the issue of making the playing field at Ground Zero a level one.
So far, the council has had four meetings and plans several more as the site develops.
Darryl Green, president of Darryl E. Green and Associates, is a key player in organizing contractors with regard to Ground Zero redevelopment. He said there is hope as involvement between minority businesses and the political community continues.
We have the full support of the minority members of the New York Congressional delegation, the Black, Puerto Rican and Hispanic Legislative Caucus of the New York State legislature and several members of the New York City Council in our pursuit of new policies regarding Ground Zero, he said. And are optimistic that we are on the verge of a much more productive future.
This is going to go on for years, said Heyliger. And I dont want minority vendors to be left out. Someone is going to be making money and people have been making money, why not us?