AS PUBLISHED IN COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION, Tuesday, January 27, 2026
- Jan 26
- 3 min read
Forte Construction Brings Winter Cheer to Brooklyn Seniors with Subway Accessibility
January 27, 2026
As crews work to improve accessibility at one of Brooklyn’s busiest subway stations, a team from Forte Construction Corp. also is making time to connect with the community just beyond the jobsite.
Forte recently completed the third philanthropic initiative of its inaugural Mission Series with a visit to the Ahi Ezer Kings Highway Center in Gravesend, Brooklyn, delivering winter essentials to local seniors while reinforcing the company’s commitment to hands-on community engagement.
Launched to foster meaningful connections between Forte employees and the neighborhoods where they work, the Mission Series empowers project teams each quarter to select a cause and participate directly. This cycle’s effort was led by the Kings Highway project team, which chose the Ahi Ezer Center because of its proximity to the Kings Highway MTA subway station on the F line, where Forte is currently partnering with Halmar International on a major accessibility upgrade.
During their lunch hour, 13 employees from Forte and affiliate TAP Electric prepared and delivered winter kits filled with hats, gloves, socks, lip balm, hand warmers, and nutritional snacks. The team spent time with residents at the center, sharing conversation and holiday cheer alongside the donated supplies.
“We greatly appreciate the thoughtfulness and generosity of Forte and TAP Electric for thinking of the seniors of the community,” says Lisa, Manager of the Ahi Ezer Center. “Their work installing elevators at our local subway station will make it easier for older residents to travel to medical appointments or visit their families, as well as allow grandchildren in strollers and family members with disabilities to visit us.”
The Ahi Ezer Center sits adjacent to the Kings Highway station, which opened in 1919 along the historic Kings Highway Road, a Colonial-era route that played a role in the Battle of Brooklyn during the Revolutionary War. Today, the station serves a diverse mix of neighborhoods and remains a vital stop on the F line for riders commuting to Manhattan and Queens or traveling to Coney Island.
Together with Halmar and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Forte is making the station fully ADA compliant for the first time in its history. The project includes the installation of three elevator towers that will transport riders from street level to the elevated platform, supporting the agency’s long-term goal of making 95 percent of subway stations ADA compliant by 2055.
“The Ahi Ezer Center was selected because it allowed us to support seniors in a meaningful way, many of whom will directly benefit from the new elevators,” says Madeline Martinez, Assistant Project Manager at Forte.
The Brooklyn visit builds on earlier Mission Series initiatives. The program launched with a special movie screening for veterans at the Long Island State Veterans Home, where Forte team members attended alongside family members with military backgrounds. Over the summer, the Mission Series continued with sponsorship of a team in the 2025 New York Lymphoma Walk. The Forte and TAP team raised more than $5,000 and finished among the top five fundraising teams, with 16 employees participating.
“Since launching the Forte Mission Series in 2025, our project teams have consistently gone above and beyond, choosing causes that allow them to connect with the community in more holistic and fulfilling ways,” says Athena Pappas, Director of Philanthropy at Forte. “This most recent event shows the positive impact we can make, and we are excited to build on that momentum in 2026.”
Forte Construction is involved in a wide range of transit and public works projects across New York City and Long Island, collaborating with agencies including the MTA, New York City School Construction Authority, New York City Housing Authority, and Dormitory Authority of the State of New York. An affiliate of TAP Electric, founded in 1969, Forte is headquartered in Islandia, New York, with additional facilities in Holbrook, Manhattan and Queens.
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