Construction firms across the United States saw another active week of project launches, infrastructure investments and safety initiatives, with New York City emerging as a focal point for both construction safety discussions and adaptive reuse development activity.
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During Construction Safety Week, the New York City Department of Buildings announced it would participate in jobsite demonstrations and safety discussions aimed at reducing worker injuries and improving compliance with required safety training.
“This Construction Safety Week, our administration will be across the city, ensuring that work sites are safe and following required training protocols, and furthering our efforts to drive down injuries,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a release.
The announcement coincided with the release of the city’s latest Construction Safety Report, which showed continued declines in overall jobsite incidents and injuries during 2025. City officials said the long-term trend of fewer incidents has largely continued since 2015.
However, the report also revealed that 10 construction workers died on New York City jobsites in 2025, an increase from seven fatalities reported in 2024. Preliminary data for the first quarter of 2026 showed fewer worker deaths compared with the same period last year.
The decline in incidents also aligned with a slowdown in construction permitting activity, with new building permits falling for the fifth consecutive year.
Meanwhile, New York state officials announced a $78 million investment package supporting four infrastructure improvement projects across multiple regions of the state.
According to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office, two pavement improvement projects in the Capital region will receive a combined $34.7 million in funding. Those efforts include upgrades along Interstate 90 in Albany County and Interstate 87 in Ulster County.
An additional $43.2 million will fund two Thruway improvement projects spanning more than 106 lane miles in Madison and Ontario counties in Central New York and the Finger Lakes region.
The infrastructure investments come as transportation agencies nationwide continue accelerating roadway rehabilitation and modernization work funded through federal and state infrastructure programs.
Skanska also announced progress on a new higher education project in Texas.
The contractor broke ground on the $133.4 million AgriLife Meat Science & Technology Building for Texas A&M University in College Station. The planned 85,600-square-foot facility will feature laboratories, classrooms, processing areas and retail space dedicated to food science and agricultural research.
Construction is expected to conclude in 2028. The project extends a partnership between Skanska and the university dating back to 2009.
In New York City, Shawmut Design and Construction has started adaptive reuse work that will transform a historic church overlooking Central Park into the new home of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan.
The project will convert the century-old First Church of Christ, Scientist, into a seven-story museum and educational facility featuring exhibits, performance areas, a café, retail space and a rooftop terrace.
“This type of adaptive reuse presents complex challenges that will yield remarkable results,” said David Margolius, executive vice president of Shawmut’s New York Metro region. “We are excited to begin this next phase and ultimately build a welcoming, expanded, and accessible space that will serve the community for years to come.”
The renovation will mark the museum’s first expansion in more than four decades and is expected to double its physical capacity.
Originally reported by Zachary Phillips, Senior Editor in Construction Dive.
