Mayor’s Office Announces Dozens of Resilient Building and Infrastructure Projects

On November 22, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the creation of a new pilot program to design and construct projects utilizing the NYC Climate Resiliency Design guidelines. The guidelines provide technical guidance for engineers and architects in the design of buildings, roads, sewer systems, public housing, and other forms of public infrastructure to anticipate worsening impacts from climate change including flooding, storm surge and intense heat.

Earlier this year, the City Council passed Local Law 41, which required the creation of climate resilience guidelines for capital projects and a resilience scoring system.  By 2026, all capital projects must meet a stringent set of climate resilience guidelines. The goal of the law is to develop capital projects that are capable of withstanding stronger storms, which allow those critical City structures to continue to function, especially in times of emergency. In addition, for every dollar invested in resilience, six dollars are saved from future repair and recovery costs, which will result in saving taxpayer money.

This pilot program is the first step in implementing Local Law 41, by using these guidelines in forty capital projects around the city. The selection process included considerations of climate exposure, project scope and equity. The projects are connected to 23 City agencies and range in budget between $3 million and $1 billion.

The projects included in the pilot program are: 

– Horizon Adolescent Facility Expansion (Administration of Children’s Services/ACS)

– Canarsie Library Overhaul (Brooklyn Public Library)

– Kingsborough Community College Hot Water Heat Piping Distribution (CUNY)

– Queens Courthouse Upgrades and Renovations (Department of Citywide Administrative Services/DCAS)

– Queens County Farm Museum: New Education Center (Department of Cultural Affairs/DCLA)

– Harlem Stage at The Gatehouse: HVAC Upgrade (DCLA)

– Reconstruction of Paerdegat Pumping Station (Department of Environmental Protection/DEP) 

– Owls Head Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility Main Sewage Pump Replacement (DEP)

– Mahopac Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades (DEP)

– Arcady Road Reconstruction (DEP)

– Mid Staten Island Bluebelt (DEP and Department of Transportation/DOT)

– Leonard Covello Senior Center Upgrades (Department for the Aging/DFTA)

– Harlem Shelter Improvements (Department of Homeless Services/DHS) 

– New Manhattan Detention Facility (Department of Correction/DOC)

– Washington Heights Health Center Exterior Renovation (Department of Health and Mental Hygiene/DOHMH)

– Manhattan Greenway – Inwood (DOT)

– Harper Street Administration Building (DOT)

– Reconstruction of Shore Road Bridge (DOT) 

– Queens 1 Luyster Creek Garage Construction (Department of Sanitation/DSNY)

– Brooklyn Army Terminal Elevators (EDC)

– Hunters Point South Ferry Landing Reconstruction (Economic Development Corporation/EDC)

– Engine 91 Renovation (FDNY)

– Fort Totten Utilities Improvements (FDNY)

– Partially funded renovation of a pediatric hospital facility on Staten Island (Health + Hospitals)

– Brownsville Community Center (Human Resources Administration/HRA)

– Gowanus Green, new affordable housing (Department of Housing Preservation and Development/HPD) 

– New affordable housing development in The Bronx (HPD)

– Renovated affordable housing project in Brooklyn (HPD)

– Wagner Community Center (New York City Housing Authority/NYCHA)

– Jefferson Playground Reconstruction (NYCHA)

– 23rd Street Warehouse Rebuild (NYPD)

– Rodman’s Neck Facilities Improvements (NYPD)

– New Dorp HVAC Improvements (New York Public Library/NYPL)

– Dalton Recreation Center Reconstruction (Parks)

– Haffen Park Improvements (Parks)

– 107th Street Pier and Bobby Wagner Walk Reconstruction (Parks)

– Jackson Heights Library Expansion (Queens Public Library)

– Sunset Park Sub-District School Construction in Brooklyn (School Construction Authority/SCA)

– New School Construction in Queens (SCA)

– New School Construction – site to be determined (SCA)

Mayor Bill de Blasio stated, “Climate change is happening now and we have the guide we need to ensure our public infrastructure is protected in New York City. Roads, hospitals, public housing, and buildings need to be designed with the impact of extreme weather in mind and the NYC Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines will make sure that happens.”

Director of the Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency Jainey Bavishi stated, “The NYC Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines pilot program is a massive step forward in our work to build a more resilient New York City. Following the five-year pilot, all City buildings and infrastructure projects across $90 billion in planned capital spending will be built to withstand future flooding and heat, ensuring that New Yorkers are safer, infrastructure lasts longer, and taxpayer dollars go further.”

By: Veronica Rose (Veronica is the CityLaw fellow and a New York Law School graduate, Class of 2018.)