Javits Expansion and Revamp Is Completed

NEW YORK CITY—The $465 million comprehensive revitalization and expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center has been finished.

The massive upgrade included a 110,000-square-foot expansion–dubbed Javits North–as well as the installation of 240,000 square feet of energy-efficient glass curtain wall on the existing facility. Additionally, Javits now has the largest green roof in the Northeast spanning 292,000 square feet, which will provide significant energy and cost savings. With a commitment to sustainability and a focus on efficiency, the repositioned building is pursuing LEED Silver certification. 

“We are proud to have worked with the New York Convention Center Operating Corp., Empire State Development and the New York Convention Center Development Corp. in giving new life to this state-of-the-art convention center,” says Jay Badame, president and COO for the New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania regions of Tishman Construction, which has managed the restoration since it began in 2009. “Through innovative planning and logistical coordination, our team was able to transform the Javits Center in an active environment, allowing its extraordinary shows to continue to thrive.”

Tishman's EVP Vincent Piscopo with senior VP Glen Johnson and first VP Nancy Czesak have overseen the effort. The project team and show managers worked together to keep the building fully-functional throughout its renovation. Building Information Modeling tools were used to facilitate the planning and implementation of a phased schedule and coordinate extensive logistics that ensured public safety and kept the project on track.

In order to replace the renowned glass roof and façade of the facility's Crystal Palace and River Pavilion, the Tishman team erected temporary scaffolding filling five million cubic feet of space. On the building's roof, 19,000 linear feet of track were laid for an innovative rail gantry system that moved and installed 89 HVAC units weighing 20,000 pounds each. Through collaboration with the New York City Department of Buildings' BEST Squad, these methods are now used as a model for working safely at public facilities, according to Tishman.