NYC Department of Design and Construction

This week, the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project was honored at Waterfront Alliance's Heroes of the Harbor Event. This critical project will protect more than 110,000 Lower East Side residents, including 28,000 in public housing, from future storms and high tides and protect billions of dollars' worth of infrastructure and property in the area. ESCR employs raised parkland, floodwalls, berms, and 18 swinging or sliding flood gates to create a continuous line of protection against sea level rise and the growing threat of stronger, more severe coastal storms worsened by climate change. Watch the video below to learn more about the project and get to know some of the key players that keep moving it forward.

Today Commissioner Foley joined NYC Mayor Adams, Deputy Mayor Joshi, Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott, elected officials, and the community to break ground on the Hollis Library. The $7.4 million project will completely overhaul the interior of the library, transforming it into an environmentally efficient, modern, and spacious space. It will include natural lighting, several reading areas, a multi-purpose room, more space for computers, and ADA-compliant restrooms. Read more: https://on.nyc.gov/4eMtxri

Today Commissioner Foley joined NYC Mayor Adams, our agency partners, elected officials, stakeholders, community members, and more to mark completion of the first section of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project. Work in that area was completed earlier this week at a cost of $163 million, which is $10 million under its original projected budget, and two months ahead of schedule. Construction on the second section, which is underway and anticipated to be completed by the end of 2026, includes a complete reconstruction of East River Park. "With this milestone, achieved ahead of time and under budget, New York City takes a huge step toward protecting one of its most vulnerable communities from coastal storms and future high tides," said Commissioner Foley. "We are pioneering shoreline protection and climate change management for major North American cities, and doing it in a way that enhance recreation and enhances neighborhoods instead of just walling them in." Read more: https://on.nyc.gov/3BOtjBk

Last night, the Waterfront Alliance's Heroes of the Harbor Gala honored the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, a ground-breaking project which will extend flood protections and improve open spaces for more than 125,000 New Yorkers on Manhattan’s East Side. Commissioner Foley accepted the award on behalf of the agency, highlighting the hard work of the DDC teams as well as our partners on this critical and complex project. We thank HNTB, IPC Resiliency Partners, Bjarke Ingels Group, AKRF Inc., MNLA, and others for their sponsorship of the event, which honors those that have contributed to the vibrancy, sustainability, economy, education, and awareness of the New York and New Jersey harbor, its port, and the metropolitan area.

We thank everyone for attending today's DDC Industry Open House. Our industry partners heard directly from agency leadership about changes in processes and upcoming opportunities. We also thank Queens Borough President Donovan Richards (Office of the Queens Borough President), who highlighted our partnership and project work in the borough.

Register for a free tour of the award-winning Far Rockaway Library. The tour will take place on October 15th, from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM, featuring members of the DDC team as well as Snøhetta. Details in the link below.

DDC joined in the celebrations to welcome back patrons to the Laurelton Library on Tuesday. The library now has a multi-layer roof system for insulation and water protection for the next 25 years, as well as other improvements. “The Laurelton Library is an important resource and gathering space for the local community and we’re very pleased to return it to them with a much-needed new roof — and $160,000 under its allocated budget,” said Commissioner Foley. “In the future, we hope we can use a faster method of construction management for library renovation projects called CM-Build, which provides a lot more flexibility for dealing with issues that arise in the field after we start work. Once our construction reform bill (which was passed by the State legislature) is signed in Albany, we’ll be able to complete projects like these even faster and more efficiently.” Details: https://on.nyc.gov/4gS3Fvz

As the Department of Design and Construction manages its $33 billion portfolio of infrastructure and public building projects for New York City, its fiscal responsibility to New Yorkers and agency contractors is critical.    Vaishali Parikh, a Senior Auditor in DDC’s Engineering Audit Office, is part of the team that independently audits payment requests from contractors to ensure that the City has received appropriate values under the terms of the contracts as per the NYC Comptroller’s directives. With over 20 years of experience in civil engineering and construction, Vaishali brings an understanding of the intricacies of large-scale project management along with a dedication to the appropriate use of public funding.    Since 2015, Vaishali has been reviewing complex and sizable DDC projects, including the East Side Coastal Resiliency project, micro-tunneling operations, street reconstructions, trunk water mains, tide gate chambers, and storm and sanitary sewer installations. She focuses on ensuring that projects are appropriately valued and completed by DDC contractors, including conducting field inspections, facilitating timely payments, and contributing auditing expertise to her team.    On a recent visit to the newly redeveloped Murphy Brothers Playground, part of the East Side Coastal Resiliency project, Vaishali reviewed flood wall installations and other physical improvements to the space. The playground renovation, coordinated with NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, was redeveloped to provide increased flood protection to the area while delivering improved recreational amenities to the community. The updated space includes new synthetic turf ballfields, an improved dog run, a new power source for the Little League scoreboard, reshaping of ground levels, and new landscaping. The playground’s floodwall is aligned with FDR Drive and the East River, designed to protect the space and neighboring community from climate change-induced sea level rise and storm surge.    Vaishali contributes not only engineering expertise, but a commitment to ensuring DDC’s funding is used responsibly, strengthening the agency’s operations as it builds New York City.

DDC joined our partners at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) and elected officials last week to mark the completion of a $106 million infrastructure project in Maspeth, Queens. This project is the second of three that is creating a new drainage network throughout central Queens. Over a mile of water mains were installed, as well as combined and sanitary sewers. Local catch basins and fire hydrants were upgraded and nearly 1.5 miles of local curbs were replaced along with sidewalks in many areas. The project also upgraded 47 pedestrian ramps to be ADA-compliant, and added 18 trees and a bike lane in the area. “When the first project in this important new drainage system proved too disruptive to the community, DDC stopped work, changed its approach and used micro-tunneling instead, including in a very sensitive and busy area where crews tunneled under Queens Boulevard,” said Commissioner Foley. “With projects like these, plus the massive Southeast Queens Initiative, DDC, DEP and DOT are investing billions of dollars in Queens drainage and street upgrades.” Read more: https://on.nyc.gov/3ZY9PUL

Today DDC joined the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, elected officials, community members, and more to break ground on a $3.9 million restoration project for the historic Hunterfly Road Houses in the Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn. The project, which DDC is managing for DCLA, will preserve the landmark houses that were built in the 1800s and which are a rich part of this city’s African American history. Other upgrades include a climate-controlled cellar, outdoor lights and other improvements for the historic Center, which is the largest African American cultural institution in Brooklyn. Work is expected to be completed by spring 2026. DDC previously completed a $38 million project in 2013 that renovated and expanded the center’s 23,000-square-foot Education and Arts Building now used for exhibits and spaces for performances and programming. Read more: https://on.nyc.gov/3NcLYJu