For Bronx Native, Stadium is Dream Come True

Joe Byrne is all energy. His hands move as quickly as his mouth and his rapid-fire speech is enough to make you dizzy. But you almost can't blame the guy for his excitement and enthusiasm. As the Project Executive for Turner Construction=Sports, Byrne oversees the construction of the new Yankee Stadium. And for a self-described "30 to 40 game-a-year" New York Yankees fan from Throggs Neck, this is the job of dreams.

Byrne is no stranger to big projects. A graduate of Lehman High School, he earned an engineering degree from SUNY Maritime and his previous work for Turner Construction included the state-of-the-art Hearst Building on West 57th Street in Manhattan and the Bear Stearns building on Madison Avenue. Yet, overseeing the construction of a stadium-especially one for the New York Yankees-is a once in a lifetime project. It is also a project that comes with a set of opportunities and responsibilities that aren't common in the building business in New York.

First and foremost is the New York Yankees Community Benefits Agreement with its benchmarks for hiring local vendors and workers. "The CBA allowed this project to start," Byrne said of the contract. He said that the New York Yankees have worked with the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation and local chambers of commerce to identify vendors from the area who could help with the construction. "Sometimes, all these guys need is a chance" to break into the business, said Byrne. He adds that the work of local contractors has been on par with some of the bigger players in the industry. As proof of his commitment to local vendors he points out that the wiring for the complex of administrative offices at the construction site-including his own-was done by a local vendor. "Diana Electric did a great job," Byrne said.

When asked what has been one of biggest challenges associated with building the new Yankee Stadium, Byrne said that finding skilled workers at a time when all of New York City is going through a building boom has been difficult but not impossible. "We've really had to search for the best specialized workers," he said, "but we've always found them."

According to Byrne an even greater challenge has been meeting the high expectations for the Stadium. "The daily challenge of being on the highest profile job in the five boroughs is tough," he said. But Byrne likes the challenge. "I really feel like we are expected to succeed off the field in the same way the Yankees are supposed to succeed on it." Besides, he adds, "how often do you get to say that you built a stadium?"