Building Congress hears from dormitory chief.

The first of a planned series of building-industry breakfast forums focusing on upcoming construction projects and job opportunities was sold out quickly, drawing 150 design and construction professionals, reported Louis Coletti, president of the New York Building Congress, and Mark Kelly, publisher, the New York Construction News, cosponsors of the forum.

The forum heard John Egan, executive director of the New York State Dormitory Authority review New York City's long-term $2.8 bill ion of planned courtroom construction that the authority will manage under an agreement with the city. The authority is the third largest public builder in the country, behind only the U.S. Post Office and the federal General Services Administration.

The forum was moderated by Building Congress Chairman John Hennessy, who noted that Egan has been designated to head the New York State Department of Transportation and could be running that agency's $20.9 billion program beginning in May.

In his discussion of New York City's capital program for courtroom facilities, Egan explained that up to $700 mill ion of courtroom construction throughout the city could be put out for bids as early as the end of summer. The Building Congress distributed a list of the planned courtroom development jobs to all those who attended the forum. The city's overall courtroom capital program comprises the development and rehabilitation of 32 court properties over 15 years at an estimated total cost of $2.8 billion. Egan said the program has the full support of Mayor Dinkins.

This aggregate volume of activity has the potential, Egan judged, of creating 64,000 construction and related jobs, and generating an additional $5.4 billion of investment in the city's regional economy.

He said that the courtroom construction program is bound by the state Wicks law, but he also observed that with the Dorimitory Authority as manager there will be overall responsibility for each project. In addition, Egan said that the Authority has been using a technique of "bonusing"to improve efficiency and as an incentive for contractors to cooperate with each other to maintain schedules. "With bonusing, we have found we can get a better price upfront because our contractors know they'll be able to earn their profit in the bonus by bringing in a job on time."

Building Congress President Louis Coletti emphasized at the forum that public officials must begin to act with a sense of urgency, and implement programs that will create jobs for the design and construction industry.

Similarly, Building Congress Chairman John Hennessy and Mark Kelly, publisher of the New York Construction News, a co-sponsor of the forums, explained that the main goal of the forums is jobs. "The forums," Hennessy said, "will bring together building contractors and entrepreneurs and public agencies that are planning construction jobs."