City Celebrates Groundbreaking for Animal Care Center in Baychester

On May 18, 2023, Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Thomas Foley, Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan, and Animal Care Centers of NYC Chief Executive Officer Risa Weinstock joined community members and advocates to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new Animal Care Center at 2050 Bartow Avenue in the Baychester section of the Bronx. The Animal Care Centers are overseen by the Department of Health and operated by Animal Care Centers of <Read More>


City Completes Drinking Water Upgrades for City Island Residents

Two new water mains were placed under Eastchester Bay. On July 20, 2022, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala and NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley announced the completion of a $34 million project dedicated to upgrading the drinking water for City Island, Bronx residents. The project began in 2019 and was substantially completed in December 2021 through the funding of the Department of Environmental Protection … <Read More>


DDC and DEP Complete Water Connection to Randall’s and Wards Islands

The newly completed water connection will bring reliable water to the public buildings located on Randall’s and Wards Islands. On January 5, 2021, the Department of Designs and Construction (DDC) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced the completion of a water connection upgrade to Randall’s and Wards Islands. The DEP funded the project while the DDC managed construction.


$75 Million Enhancement of Staten Island Bluebelt Underway

Bluebelts improve the health of local waterways and increase nearby property values by managing stormwater and reducing flooding while protecting natural spaces. On October 1, 2020, New York City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Vincent Sapienza, Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, and Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Lorraine Grillo announced that construction began on a $75 million enhancement of the Bluebelt program in the Mid-Island area of Staten Island.


DDC Announces Six Firms to Compete for Borough-Based Jails Projects

Design-build teams have already been selected to handle the demolition of structures on the current sites. On December 29, 2021, the Department of Design and Construction announced that six teams have been approved to develop detailed proposals for the design and construction of four smaller borough-based jails in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. The borough-based jails project aims to replace the facilities on Rikers Island permanently with smaller jails that will allow for populations <Read More>