LaGuardia Airport Central Terminal Building Replacement Project Earns Envision Platinum

The LaGuardia Airport CTB Replacement Project is the first project to earn Envision recognition under Envision v3 – the latest iteration of the Envision sustainable infrastructure framework developed and managed by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure. Owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), the LaGuardia Airport CTB Replacement Project earned Envision Platinum, indicating the project delivered a heightened range of social, environmental, and economic benefits to the host and affected communities.

The LaGuardia Airport is vital to the regional economy. It employs approximately 10,000 people on-airport and contributes more than $13 billion in economic activity to the region, generating an additional 100,000 jobs and nearly $5 billion in annual wages and salaries. The airport is located on 680 acres in the New York City Borough of Queens. It is a large commercial airport hub that primarily serves domestic markets. Located only a few minutes from Manhattan, LaGuardia Airport serves more than 19 million people.

PANYNJ embarked on an innovative Public-Private Partnership (P3) to replace the aging and outdated Central Terminal Building (CTB) at the LaGuardia Airport which has been operational since its dedication in 1964. It was most recently modernized and expanded in the 1990s. This is the most ambitious P3 ever undertaken in the region and is the largest P3 ever in the United States. Under the P3, LaGuardia Gateway Partners will design, build, operate, and maintain a new Central Terminal Building (New CTB) facility. The P3 contract includes taking over the operations of the existing CTB and designing, building, financing, operating and maintaining the New CTB through 2050. The project will be financed using equity, debt, passenger facility charges, retail, and airline revenues.

Learn more about this project and why it earned Envision Platinum.

Westside Subway Extension (Purple Line), Section 1

Rendering of the Wilshire/La Brea Station currently under construction [rendering courtesy of Skanska]

LA Metro’sWestside Subway Extension (Purple Line), Section 1 in Los Angeles received the Envision Platinum award for sustainable infrastructure. To reach Platinum status, a project must demonstrate that it delivers a heightened range of environmental, social, and economic benefits to the host and affected communities.

Section 1 of the Westside Subway Extension, also known as the Purple Line Extension, is one of the most significant infrastructure programs in the region. The 3.92-mile segment, comprised of twin bore tunnels, will add three new stations to LA Metro’s rail system. The three additional stations will be located at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cinega. The project will extend the current Purple Line from Koreatown through Miracle Mile and is expected to be operational in 2023.

Located beneath some of Los Angeles’ most heavily traveled boulevards, this $1.6 billion subway line extension will provide a high-capacity, high-speed, and dependable transportation alternative for commuters to alleviate congested roadways. This project will also deliver significant economic and environmental benefits to the area.

Learn more about the project.

Santa Monica Clean Beaches project Earns Envision Gold Award

The City of Santa Monica’s Clean Beaches Project for Pier Drainage Basin received the Envision Gold award for sustainable infrastructure.

Santa Monica Pier was ranked as one of the dirtiest beaches in California after a bacterial study was conducted in 2015. The Clean Beaches Project was delivered to improve beach water quality and increase the city’s drought resiliency by increasing the diversion capacity at the Santa Monica Pier storm drain outfall. The project consists of a flow diversion structure to direct stormwater and urban runoff from the Pier watershed into a subsurface facility beneath Ocean Front Walk. This subsurface storage facility is designed to hold 1.6 million gallons of water, which is equivalent to an 85thpercentile storm event (a storm event whose total precipitation is greater than or equal to 85 percent of all storm events in the contributing drainage area over a given period of time). Harvested water will be diverted for treatment at the Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility (SMURRF) and distributed for non-potable water uses throughout the city. The project also includes the construction of a new parking lot facility for visiting beachgoers.

The $15 million Clean Beaches Project was partially funded by the California State Water Resources Control Board Clean Beaches Initiative Grant Program, with a local match from the City Clean Beaches and Oceans Parcel Tax, “Measure V” which was passed with over two-thirds of the city’s voting residents voting in its favor.

“It’s great to see such an important project from an environmental and public health and safety perspective deploy Envision as a tool to improve its sustainable performance,” said Melissa Peneycad, ISI’s Managing Director. “The Santa Monica Clean Beaches Project will improve beach water quality which will benefit residents, businesses, and visitors alike. In addition, this project reduces strain on existing storm infrastructure and improves the city’s drought resiliency. ISI is pleased to present this project with an Envision Gold award for sustainable infrastructure.”

Learn more by reading the Project Profile

ENV SP Spotlight: Stephanie Dalo of AECOM

Stephanie Dalo, PE, ENV SP. [Photo submitted by Stephanie Dalo]

Stephanie Dalo is a professional engineer in Vancouver, British Columbia, with experience in the structural inspection and analysis of municipal and provincial infrastructure. Her civil infrastructure work has included bridges, culverts, dams, roads, wastewater treatment structure, water reservoirs, stormwater retention basins, noise walls, waste management structures, and other projects.

ISI had an opportunity to connect with Stephanie to learn more about her work, and experience using Envision.

Professional Experience

Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI): Tell us more about your current work and pursuits.

Stephanie Dalo (SD): My work with AECOM has spanned over 7 years. In addition to my work, I am pursuing a Masters of Engineering Leadership (Urban Systems) at the University of British Columbia. Through this program, I collaborate with faculty, government, and industry experts. Some of the key elements of this exciting program include exploring major ways in which urban systems provision and performance impact society; learning about the linkages between the environment, health, quality of life and economy; developing long-term investment plans and alternative analyses; applying systems theory to sustainability and resiliency; and applying principles of engineering economics.

(ISI): What drew you to your field of work in the first place?

(SD): I was fortunate to grow up in places with treated water, maintained roads, managed wastewater, distributed power, and well-maintained sewers. In my early teens, I began to question who is responsible for all of this. I realized that infrastructure touches the lives of everyone, and that good infrastructure creates cities that thrive. That became my passion and led me to my career as a structural engineer.

After working as a structural engineer for 4 years, I started asking myself ‘why’ I am designing these structures. To me, it wasn’t just about doing the project right, but also about doing the right project. I started learning about sustainability, but I did not feel that I was utilizing this concept in my projects. There was always a question of whether my clients were interested enough to include a thorough sustainability assessment. I wanted to follow my passion so I switched my focus from structural design to how people can plan, design, construct, operate and maintain infrastructure in a holistic way… in a way that authentically balances environmental, social, and economic considerations.

(ISI): What would you say has been your biggest career challenge thus far?

(SD): Getting engineers more engaged in conversations about sustainability. Planners, policy makers, and architects are leading the conversation, but engineers also need to be at the table to discuss how to best design these systems.

(ISI): What has been your proudest career moment to-date?

(SD): My proudest moment was the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Meadowlily Footbridge, a heritage bridge in the City of London, Ontario. The historical and sentimental value of this bridge meant a lot to the local residents. The notion of entirely replacing the bridge drew significant protests. So, despite restoration being the more costly option, the city prioritized rehabilitating it to match the original design as best as possible.

High quality public engagement ensured that this piece of cultural history was not erased. At the start of the project, there were no plans for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. However, since the project went well and the locals were so pleased with it, the ceremony was arranged. The mayor said a few words on the day that it was officially reopened to the public.

Envision Experience

(ISI): How did you learn about Envision?

(SD): While working as a Structural Engineer at AECOM, I began to grow increasingly aware of all the lives I touch with the work that I do. While I felt proud of my work, I recognized that there was more I could do to make my projects sustainable. I began reading and researching sustainable infrastructure and was invited to give a guest lecture to graduate students at the Western University in London Ontario about Reducing a Project’s Carbon Footprint and Adapting to Climate Change. One of the senior engineers at AECOM saw that I was very passionate about sustainability and referred me to the Envision Framework. As soon as I learned more about Envision, I realized it was a tool that I wanted to apply to my work.

(ISI): Why did you decide to pursue an Envision credential?

(SD): As an advocate for sustainable development, my objective is to consult decision makers on how to implement principles of sustainability into infrastructure planning, design, construction, and operations & maintenance. My goal is to reduce project risks through increased transparency, stakeholder involvement, inclusive practices, innovation, and leadership. I plan to use the Envision Framework on my projects because it offers a consistent, consensus-based framework for assessing sustainability and resilience in infrastructure.

(ISI): How are you advocating for the use of Envision?

(SD): I have been working with the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) to bring more exposure to the Envision framework and inform engineers across Canada on how they can use it. The framework provides a common understanding that allows owners, architects, landscape architects, planners, operators and constructors to set higher performance goals for projects and to collaborate and communicate on achieving those goals.

In November 2016, I was invited to sit on the CSCE’s Sustainability Assessment task force. This task force was developed to evaluate the challenges and opportunities of the ISI Envision Framework, identify gaps, and support continuous improvement.

Fun Facts

(ISI): What are some of your favorite hobbies and interests?

(SD): I really enjoy practicing yoga. It helps me stay grounded, mindful and present. I also love camping and hiking. Being outdoors helps me connect with nature and my surroundings. I am also somewhat of a music nerd. While I appreciate the classics, I love keeping up with new music.

(ISI): What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

(SD): I play guitar and have a small two-piece band called Archives. I play rhythm guitar, keyboard / synth and sing. I also am writing a TV show with a friend. We are serious about it, but we are also having fun. We just want to write something that is entertaining, adventurous, suspenseful, and of course, funny.

Hope Mills Dam in North Carolina Earns Envision Bronze for Sustainability

The Hope Mills Dam in North Carolina is the recent recipient of the Envision® Bronze award for sustainable infrastructure. This is the first dam project to earn an Envision award, and the second project in the state to earn recognition from ISI for sustainability.

The Town of Hope Mills is located in western Cumberland County south of Fayetteville in North Carolina.  Hope Mills Lake is the centerpiece of the town, one of the main reasons for the town’s existence and a crucial element included in the planned revitalization of the town’s historic downtown district.

The Schnabel/ASI design-build team worked in close partnership with the Town of Hope Mills to deliver this award-winning sustainable project.  Construction of this new dam began April 2016 and was completed in 2018.

Key factors contributing to the Hope Mills Dam project earning an Envision Bronze award include:

  • Collaboration and stakeholder engagement
  • Cost-effectiveness
  • Reducing noise and vibrations

Learn more by visiting the PROJECT PAGE.