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CEO, F.J. Sciame Construction/ Sciame Development
www.sciame.com
Frank Sciame established his construction firm in 1975 and in the years since has grown it into one of the tri-state's leading construction management and development firms. Known for his charity and non-profit work, Sciame serves on the boards of the City College Fund, the Actor's Center, the South Street Seaport Museum, and as chairman for the New York Landmarks Conservancy. Who's Who spoke with Sciame about building in the current economic climate and giving back.
How did you get into construction management?
I was trained as an architect, but I knew early on I wasn't going to be the next Frank Lloyd Wright. At the same time, I had a great love for construction and building. When I graduated City College with my architecture degree, I worked for a masonry subcontractor and then for the general contractor who owned them. After working there for a year, I realized I could probably do it on my own and started my business.
What was it like in the beginning?
I started this business 33 years ago. Our first job was repairing a gate at NYU. I think we made $75. From there, just by doing the right thing over and over again, we were recommended from one project to another.
There's a general perception that architects and contractors don't get along – that architects look down on the builders and the builders think architects are unrealistic and pretentious. Does the stereotype hold true?
It's a very real happening. There is often a bit of friction between the design teams and the construction managers. The majority of construction firms out there don't have enough patience for good design. That's why a lot of our executives are trained architects. They really bring a passion for good design to the table. We've tried hard to find cost-effective methods so architects can fully realize their design. As a result, we've built ourselves a nice niche.
So clients approach you because you have architects in your firm?
We seem to be the go-to guys for highly designed buildings designed by great architects. I'd like to think that my humble contribution to the field of architecture is helping great architects – visionary architects much more creative than myself – find a way to build their designs in a cost-effective manner, so they don't have to give up any of the design details of the project.
Is there anything you're working on now that particularly excites you?
We're excited about the Cooper Union academic building, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne. That's really going to be a state-of-the-art facility in every way. We're going for LEED certification – gold, maybe platinum. It's going to be a building that defines what education should be. We're very happy to be working on that.
The economy is in bad shape and getting worse. As both a builder and a developer, what does that mean for you?
You've got to make sure you stay ahead of the curve. We are very busy still. I think any major builder in this town is enjoying a good amount of work still and a good backlog. But we're not kidding ourselves. Two years from now the work will be a lot more difficult to get. We're diversifying and taking steps to make sure we have enough work in the downturn.
From a development perspective, I think this is a time of great opportunity. I keep reminding people that, in 1996, 40 Wall Street – a million square-foot building – sold for $5 million. Today, even in the downturn, that building has got to be worth $400 million to $500 million. You have to remember that the real estate industry is cyclical. In down times there are great opportunities.
Many New Yorkers know you for your work in 2006 adjusting the budget of the World Trade Center Memorial after it got too expensive. Can you talk about that?
That was a very interesting assignment. The governor and the mayor had called because the estimated cost for building the memorial had swelled from $500 million to $972 million. They asked me if I could try to align the budget with the design. A group of absolutely fantastic advisers and myself worked hard for eight weeks and got the cost down to $510 million. I think we were successful. The Times, the Daily News and the Post all had editorials calling it a success and they rarely agree on anything.
Was it difficult to make budget decisions at a site that so many people are emotionally invested in?
It was very challenging. I used to say "if the governor and the mayor call, how can you say no," but after having run through this, even if the president calls, I'm going to look at the minefield I'll have to run through first before I agree. But no, in the end, the only reason we were able to make the plan work was that everyone pulled together in good faith to save the design.
You work with many charities and non-profits. We're not talking about one or two charity boards, but more like six or seven high-profile boards in the city. Why this level of involvement?
Giving back has always been important to me. And I consider chairing boards to be my continuing education. When you run your own company, people may feel hesitant to challenge what you say. But on boards, it's very rewarding to make a suggestion and then hear someone else make a better suggestion.
When you're not running a company or serving on a board, what do you do to relax?
We have a summer home in Connecticut that we try to get out to most weekends. It's a place where you can reflect and unwind. I enjoy reading, particularly biographies – Winston Churchill, Teddy Roosevelt. I like seeing how men and women have handled different events in their lives. I also enjoy the water and have a boat. There's nothing like being out on the water, hopefully in calm seas, to help one relax.
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