By Joshua Peguero November 12, 2012
Covering a construction project in New York City is deceptively difficult. Although there are plenty of people with strong opinions about the new Wal-Mart, Whole Foods or Trump Tower, the voices you want are rarely the ones willing to go on the record.
You can hardly blame them. For developers and investors, there’s a lot at stake. They have a lot riding on public opinion of their project. Laborers are typically tight-lipped out of fear of being fired or crossing their unions.
Yet getting people to open up is a critical skill for any journalist, and like most skills, this one can be learned. It starts with talking to the right people and getting them at the right time.
Here are few sources to reach out to when covering a construction project in a big city like New York.
Get Inside the Hardhat
Construction workers can add color and help humanize a piece. They also know first-hand the hazards involved in their project, such as faulty equipment or safety shortcuts. Construction workers are often reluctant be interviewed on site because of union regulations. Find a place they’re willing to talk. Hang out where they go for lunch or dinner. Because union rules forbid many workers from speaking to media, expect to conduct early interviews anonymously or on background.
Think Outside the Union
Some union workers belong to construction coalitions – such as the Economic Employment Council, United Hispanics Construction Workers and Afro Construction – that represent their clients’ issues when unions can’t or won’t. Develop a network of people who run these groups. They have familiarity with workers and on-site labor issues and can put you in touch with employees filing complaints. They’re often on site ensuring their constituents are being treated fairly or protesting against developers. Note that these coalitions have a clear labor bias, but they’ll point you toward story ideas you can flesh out for yourself.
Chat Up the Neighbors
Local business owners can have a huge stake in whether a nearby construction project succeeds or fails, and some are candid enough to be interviewed. Do some background research about the negotiation process to figure out which business owners were for the development and which against it.
A good jumping-off point for local sources is the project’s community benefits agreement, a private contract between a real estate developer and local organizations, including business groups. In these agreements, local groups agree to support a project on the condition the developer helps the area by, for example, hiring locally or earmarking some new space for low-income renters. No federal or state law requires a CBA, and not every project has one.
Public hearings held on projects can also steer you toward project advocates and detractors. Here, residents ask questions and vent their frustrations over pending projects. At the public hearing on Columbia University’s development in West Harlem, there was heavy opposition from the community. Transcripts of such hearings are typically available days after they occur. In New York, the Industrial Development Agency holds these inquiries. (Here is a list of upcoming hearings.)
Follow the Money
Speak to people with a financial stake in the project. New developments can boost or weigh on property values. Find a realtor or real estate agent that already owns property close to the development and is trying to unload it, and ask them how the project might impact the sale price. Note that they may have a bias because they’re seeking the highest bid possible.
The last person to own the land might also have something to say. Look through property records to see if the prior owner had any debt obligations. (In New York, check the City Register.) If a conflict arose during the purchase, try to track down the seller.
Investors in the project itself can also be helpful. Large-scale commercial real estate ventures are often securitized into real estate investment trusts, which work like stocks. Many REITs hold so many properties that a single project would not meaningfully impact their value, but savvy investors take notice when a project faces a new challenge, and they may have something to say. If a property you’re covering is packaged in a REIT, check its 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission to find out who its major investors are. You can also find who sold their position in the REIT over the last quarter.
Get Schooled
Academics in urban planning, government, real estate and development can all help put a project in a larger cultural or historical perspective. New York is rich in such experts, and at times they act as consultants on local projects. The Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy at New York University publishes environmental and financial data for projects around the city. It also collects proposals for such projects. SUNY-Albany’s Law School houses a program and supports faculty dedicated to litigation in real estate development. Columbia Business School posts links to recent in-house research in real estate and contact information for faculty specializing in housing and public policy.
This entry was posted on Monday, November 12th, 2012 at 8:35 am. It is filed under Uncategorized and tagged with 13F, construction, labor, New York, real estate, unions, workers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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