Earlier today, Kris Kolluri announced that he would be stepping down as founding CEO of the Gateway Development Commission. RPA congratulates Kris on his incredible tenure in this vital role. His selection was first announced by Governors Kathy Hochul and Phil Murphy at the RPA Assembly on May 6, 2022, and it is truly impressive to consider how much Kris and his team accomplished in two years. When Kris stepped in as the inaugural CEO of the newly-appointed project sponsor of the Hudson Tunnel Project, the Gateway Development Commission was just forming. At an extraordinary speed, he scaled up the staff, initiated over $1 billion in contracts for early work, and secured the largest federal grant for a mass transit project in modern history.

It was because of his tenacious leadership and unrelenting commitment to this work that the federal government could allocate the historic Full Funding Grant Agreement to a team that has proven they’re up for the job.

With the funding locked in, we look forward to this next phase of the Hudson Tunnel Project: the construction phase. The project is moving forward, and we largely have Kris and the hardworking staff at GDC to thank for that.