Built\/NYC will stimulate the local design economy through commissions of custom local designs on City capital projects<\/p>\n
New York, NY \u2013 City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner David Burney and members of the city\u2019s design community today announced details of Built\/NYC, a pilot program to stimulate the local design economy. An innovative approach to spur economic growth in the creative sector, Built\/NYC will provide opportunities for local product designers to make significant design contributions to City capital projects. Through the program, the DDC will commission designs from local designers and firms working in industrial, product, textile and other fields for public spaces such as parks and municipal offices. Built\/NYC aims to help emerging designers gain a local foothold, and established designers to grow their businesses, while supporting small manufacturers who will make the products. The initiative builds on the success of NYCxDESIGN \u2013 an inaugural 12-day citywide event to showcase local design held in May 2013. Officials made the announcement at The Future Perfect, a design retailer in Downtown Manhattan, joined by Leighton Pierce of the Pratt Institute, New York-based designer Harry Allen and other leading members of the city\u2019s design community. <\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of automatically purchasing a desk, a lighting fixture or other furnishings made in another country, we can allow the City to purchase products that have been designed and manufactured right here in the five boroughs,\u201d said Speaker Quinn. \u201cBuilt\/NYC is a way for the City to support our growing design community by investing in the businesses that drive New York City\u2019s creative economy while simultaneously enhancing the interiors of public buildings and spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNew York has some of the greatest design talent in the world. Thanks to funding from Speaker Quinn and the New York City Council, Built\/NYC will commission homegrown design firms to provide furniture, textiles, lighting, and other interior furnishings for many new City buildings. We at DDC are excited to be working with the Speaker to promote our City\u2019s design industry and harness the creativity and energy of local designers to improve our City\u2019s capital projects,\u201d said Commissioner Burney.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe City is taking another step toward supporting local small businesses today,\u201d said Council Member Diana Reyna, Chair of the Committee on Small Business. \u201cBy contracting with NYC-based design and manufacturing companies, Built\/NYC will ensure that public dollars are being reinvested back into our communities. I hope that we can expand upon this model in the future and commit public projects entirely to local enterprises.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Built\/NYC initiative is a wonderful and innovative way of supporting our local economy within the design sector. NYC has always led the field of creativity through our design and construction. This program serves an excellent way of highlighting and supporting our skilled, local designers while supporting City construction projects\u2014a win-win situation,\u201d said Council Member Karen Koslowitz, Chair of the Economic Development Committee.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the expansion of this pilot program we will be able to provide our emerging local independent designers with a tremendous opportunity to literally be a part of creating a new generation of infrastructure that will change the face of New York City through their ingenuity and creativity,\u201d said Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, Chair of the Cultural Affairs and Libraries Committee. \u201cI\u2019m proud to join Speaker Quinn and my colleagues in the New York City Council in funding this innovative program and building upon already established initiatives that will continue to spur economic growth in local communities throughout the City.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNew York City is home to the world\u2019s most creative designers and manufacturers, and Built\/NYC allows public projects to take advantage of our city\u2019s wealth of local talent,\u201d said Council Member Margaret Chin. \u201cThrough this initiative, small design businesses can showcase their skills and get their foot in the door of a tough industry, upholding New York\u2019s deserved reputation as a center for boundless creativity and innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have long been a supporter of New York City\u2019s designers, and I am thrilled to host this event today,\u201d said David Alhadeff, Owner of The Future Perfect. \u201cWhile we continue to reinvest in the design community, it is wonderful to see the City do the same. Together, we can go far. I thank Speaker Quinn and the Department of Design and Construction for launching Built\/NYC.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNew York City\u2019s creative world is alive and well, but it can be even stronger if we support designers right here in the five boroughs,\u201d said Leighton Pierce, Dean of Art and Design at Pratt Institute. \u201cBy tapping into their enormous talents, the city will become an even more vibrant, unique environment for New Yorkers and visitors to enjoy while, at the same time, reinvesting local dollars into the design industry \u2013 creating more opportunities for excellent designers of this city to do what they do best. Pratt Institute is excited to be involved in the launch of the Build\/NYC pilot program, and we thank Speaker Quinn and the DDC for spearheading this effort.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have lived and worked in NYC since the late eighties and have always wanted to get involved with the design of the City. Built\/NYC provides that entry point. New York’s vibrant, world-class design community has much to offer, and I cannot wait to see what emerges from the program,\u201d said Harry Allen, founder and president of Harry Allen Design.<\/p>\n
The program is funded with $400,000 in capital funding from the City Council and will be open to designers across the five boroughs. The application for interested designers can be accessed at www.nyc.gov\/ddc\/builtnyc and additional information is available at facebook.com\/builtnyc or by following @BuiltNYC on Twitter or Instagram. The first year of Built\/NYC will support up to 20 commissions by New York City designers. Projects will be awarded starting in late 2013.<\/p>\n
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Built\/NYC will stimulate the local design economy through commissions of custom local designs on City capital projects<\/p>\n
New York, NY \u2013 City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner David Burney and members of the city\u2019s design community today announced details of Built\/NYC, a pilot program to stimulate the local design economy. An innovative approach to spur economic growth in the creative sector, Built\/NYC will provide opportunities for local product designers to make significant design contributions to City capital projects.<\/p>\n
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