On January 21, 2025, Commissioner Thomas Foley of the New York City Department of Design and Construction announced the completion of the reconstruction and stabilization of a two-story high underground sidewalk vault located at 22 Reade Street. This $5.7 million project was managed by the City Department of Design and Construction for the City Department of Citywide Administrative Service through using the Construction Manager-Build (CM-Build) contracting method.
The project involved the removal of debris, rerouting of the plumbing/electrical, and reconstruction and partial excavation of the location’s exterior. Roughly 293 tons of debris was removed from inside the vault to adhere to structural safety and environmental regulations. The plumbing and electrical conduits within the five-chamber vault were rerouted. The outside curb, sidewalk, and roadway were restored. And there was partial excavation of the curb, sidewalk, and roadway to prepare for the removal of the roof slab of the vault and fill it with concrete.
The City Department of Design and Construction collaborated with the City Landmarks Preservation Commission to mitigate construction risks as the site is located within the African Burial Ground and the Commons Historic District. The CM-Builder for this project was M&J Engineering D.P.C..
The debris removal was done by a subcontractors Honey Construction and AM NY Electric Corp completed the electric work. These subcontractors were part of the Department of Design and Construction Mentorship Program led by the Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises. The City Department of Design and Construction also collaborated with AI Engineers, Clean Tech Mechanical Inc., and MFM Contracting Corp to complete this project. The construction for this project commenced in March 2023 and was completed in October 2024.
New York City Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Thomas Foley said, “This complex project showcased how well CM-Build can speed up construction and deliver positive results, especially renovation projects like this where flexibility is required to manage unknown field conditions. With CM-Build, the contractor joined during the design phase allowing for a more streamlined and careful approach while working on a historic building near complicated infrastructure and several other historic sites. Thanks to CM-Build and our great team, work was finished three months in advance, saving nearly half the original budget. We also appreciate the collaboration with NYC Comptroller Brad Lander and his team on quickly approving the emergency declaration to allow us to move quickly with procurement.”
By: Chelsea Ramjeawan (Chelsea is the CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2025.)