Tishman Speyer Expands Zo Amenity Package To Construction Workers

Commercial property giant Tishman Speyer has started offering its suite of health, wellness and safety services, which it calls Zo, to construction workers at the company's new developments. 

Previously, Zo was available to Tishman Speyer office tenant workers.

The move comes as developers struggle to find and retain skilled construction workers for their projects. About 61% of construction companies say they are experiencing a high level of difficulty in finding skilled workers, according to the USG Corp.-U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index for Q3 2019, which surveyed more than 200 contractors.

"The severity of the skilled worker shortage shows no signs of abating," the report said.

Tishman Speyer will first offer Zo to construction workers at its 2.8M SF 66 Hudson Blvd. development in Manhattan, called The Spiral, in partnership with Turner Construction. The company estimates that there will be as many as 10,000 trade workers on-site over the life of the project, which will be completed in 2022. The company asserts that it is the first commercial property developer to offer office-tenant amenities to construction workers. 

Zo will provide access to a number of services to construction workers, such as haircuts and shaves, health screenings, end-of-day massages and other wellness services, and an on-site medic to provide acute care. The amenities will also include a break room for workers, a computer and printer, privacy phone booths and various food offerings.

Tishman Speyer expanded the Zo suite to its office tenants nationwide in 2018, after rolling the program out at Rockefeller Center in New York City in 2017. "Zo" is derived from the Greek word for life, "zoe," and refers to being "in the zone," according to Tishman Speyer. 

Now Zo is available at 37 company properties in the United States and Europe. After a rollout at The Spiral, Tishman Speyer says the program will be available at other construction sites.