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Colorado contractors sue Denver over alleged unconstitutional vaccine mandate

2021-10-06T17:10:00-04:00

Alleging that vaccine mandates for contractors are unconstitutional, the Colorado Contractors Association is suing the city of Denver for requiring workers on public contracts to get inoculated against COVID-19.

The Colorado Contractors Association, along with six other construction associations, believe the mandate violates the U.S. Constitution’s contracts clause because it substantially impairs their existing contract rights with the city. As reported by Construction Dive, the associations expect the city to fine companies up to $5,000 per day if they do not comply. The Colorado Contractors Association (CCA) argues that this is much stricter than President Joe Biden’s executive order that businesses with 100 or more employees must require vaccinations or have employees get regularly tested for COVID-19.

The CCA says its members aren’t anti-vaccine, but the city of Denver hasn’t given contractors enough time to comply because of the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy among construction workers. The CCA attributes this delay to the fact that the construction industry is largely composed of minority workers who are more reluctant to get vaccinated due to mistrust of the government.

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Take a look at the new urban farm coming to the Javits Center this month

2021-08-17T08:41:00-04:00

A sprawling new urban farm is coming to one unlikely New York venue this month after a $1.5 billion reinvestment into the state’s “Crown Jewel” convention hall.

The Javits Center will have some verdant new features when its renovation is officially unveiled this month thanks to an innovative, collaborative design by Stantec, tvsdesign, WXY, and Brooklyn Grange with green roofers Adaptive Green acting as contractor. The project is a joint venture of LendLease, Turner Construction, and tvsdesign, with Stantec providing the landscape architecture planning.

Image: © Chloe Barran

The existing green roof has been expanded while a new 1-acre urban farm has also been added along with a pavilion and greenhouse space that will save about 8 million gallons of stormwater annually in addition to providing fresh produce to the center’s catering and dining operations year-round.

Image: © Chloe Barran

“This expansion comes at a critical time for our city, our state and our industry and serves as a si...

The American Museum of Natural History is NYC's exciting new vaccination site

2021-04-29T12:48:00-04:00

New Yorkers who have yet to receive their Covid-19 vaccine can now get jabbed under the American Museum of Natural History’s iconic blue whale, which has been adorned with a colossal bandage. The museum began administering the Moderna vaccine to people 18 and up in its Milstein Hall of Ocean Life last week and is offering anyone who receives the shot at the site (plus three friends) complimentary admission.

Following the news that all US adults are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, this “whale of an announcement”, as comically put by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, is one that serves as a symbol of progress for New Yorkers amidst the ongoing pandemic. It is also a means to get individuals enthused about going in to get vaccinated, especially as appointments are becoming easier to obtain.

According to The Art Newspaper, the museum is offering approximately 1,000 Moderna vaccines per day between Fridays and Tuesdays. Some appointments will be reserved for New York City Housing Authority residents and staff, and members of the District Council 37 union. People have the choice of walking in or booking their appointments in advance via the NYC Covid-19 Vaccine Finder.

The museum joins the over 600 vaccination sites across New York.