BDG.
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BLUMENFELD DEVELOPMENT GROUP
Redeveloping existing properties has also been a
“OUR
BDG’S CORPORATE PHILOSOPHY IS THAT IT’S
OBLIGATION TO GIVE BACK AND BECOME
ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN [OUR COMMUNITIES].
”
efficiently and punctually,” the company
says. “BDG’s greatest strength comes from
understanding clients’ needs and recogniz-
ing the importance of being a detail-ori-
ented team and catching things early.
Therefore, throughout the predevelop-
ment and construction phases of a proj-
ect, BDG continuously communicates to
the client, updating them on budgeting,
scheduling and progress.
“BDG exercises this practice in order to
accommodate to each client’s needs
while the project materializes,” the com-
pany adds. “BDG ensures that all projects
28 ■ WWW.CONSTRUCTION-TODAY.COM ■ FEBRUARY 2009
successful venture for BDG. The company has
redeveloped facilities for high-profile clients.
are executed with utmost professional-
ism and quality workmanship.”
Founded on Innovation
BDG was founded in 1978 by President
Edward Blumenfeld, when he redevel-
oped a 300,000-square-foot manufacturing
plant on Long Island into a mixed-use
office and retail building. In addition to
office space, the redeveloped facility includ-
ed restaurants, a fitness center and retail
stores. Soon after that initial project,
the company began work on what
would become its flagship property,
British Airways’ corporate headquarters
in the Bulova Corporate Center in Queens.
From there, BDG continued to evolve
in new directions while keeping focused
on its core principles. “In the early 1990s,
BDG expanded into the retail sector, largely
in historically disadvantaged communities
such as east Harlem that had long been
ignored by [Edward Blumenfeld’s] develop-
ment peers,” the company says. “These
projects have been satisfying financially
and sociologically, as the increased choice
and lowered costs that these operations
generate have raised standards of living in
neighboring communities.
“Gotham Plaza and East River Plaza
are two examples BDG projects that
helped energize and revitalize communi-
ties,” the company adds. “Mr. Blumenfeld
feels a moral obligation to improve
BDG’s communities, and does so by
supporting local charities, donating
playing fields, and producing artistic,
cultural and educational events. Mr.
Blumenfeld continues to bring his
expertise and creativity to new neigh-
borhoods through an array of sustain-
able projects such as the Arches in Deer
Park, that remain sensitive to the com-
munities they serve while strengthening
local economies.”
The company goes on to say that Edward
Blumenfeld’s commitment to charitable
works remains just as important as the
developments the company contributes to
the community. “Through his many under-
takings, Edward Blumenfeld has literally
and figuratively built a better Long Island,”
the company says.
That philanthropic mindset has
become one of the cornerstones of
BDG, according to the company. “BDG’s
corporate philosophy is that it’s our
obligation to give back to and become
an active part of the communities in
which we do business,” it says. “As such,
the principals and members of BDG are
involved with and serve on the board of
several local charities and community
organizations.”
Among the charities and community
organizations BDG supports are Children’s
Medical Fund of New York, The Leukemia
& Lymphoma Society, The Gift of Life
Bone Marrow Foundation, The Rusk
Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine
and The Nature Conservancy. ■