Crain’s New York
William Johnson
2.22.21
Lorriane Grillo, longtime president of the city’s School Construction Authority, will be a special adviser overseeing New York’s economic recovery from the pandemic, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday.
“I’m going to refer to her as our recovery czar,” de Blasio said. “What she has to do is really pull the strands together and make sure that every week, every day, the entire city government is focused on the recovery, moving together in a coordinated fashion.”
As president of the SCA, Grillo oversaw the construction of schools and city recreational facilities. The mayor touted her ability to coordinate between the private and public sectors—which is likely to be key to revitalizing the city’s economy after nearly a year of lockdowns and plummeting demand for many goods and services.
The appointment drew accolades from the construction sector.
“The appointment of Lorraine Grillo as recovery czar for New York City is a critical step toward rebuilding our economy and getting the five boroughs back on track,” said Carlo Scissura, head of the New York Building Congress. “Having worked with Lorraine for the past 20 years, and given her tremendous record of success, I can think of no better choice for this important role. Her strength, tenacity and expertise will be invaluable to the resurgence of our city.”
“Our city—my city—has been hit really hard,” Grillo said. “But we’ll recover. As the recovery czar, I’ll make sure that we will recover quickly and fairly.”
She related the task ahead to her experience rebuilding city schools after Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
“New Yorkers never gave up,” she said. “We rebuilt. And we did it the right way. I made a point of rebuilding with woman- and minority-owned businesses helping us lead the way. I knew that while there is pain and crisis, there is also an opportunity to do some things better.”
Grillo is to report directly to the mayor and hold regular meetings at which she will coordinate the city agencies, nonprofits and businesses tasked with bringing the city’s economy back this year.
https://www.crainsnewyork.com/construction-property/de-blasio-chooses-citys-economic-recovery-czar
