Brooklyn’s Rescue Co. #2, seen above, is a firehouse that opened in 2019 as part of a past Project Excellence contract. Image Credit: NYC DDC.

Projects will be awarded to the selected firms on a rotating basis. On March 16, 2022, the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) announced the selection of twenty firms the agency has contracted with for architectural design services for future public building projects. The firms were selected as part of the Project Excellence Program. The Project Excellence Program pre-qualifies firms to provide design services for public building projects to ensure high quality while saving time on the procurement process. The previous round of the program expired in 2021. (more…)

Department of Design and Construction Logo Image Credit: DDC

The program provides training, networking, and bidding opportunities. On November 10, 2021, the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) announced the launch of a DDC Mentoring Program designed to support and increase business opportunities for Minority- and Women- Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs). As the principal construction management agency for New York City, the DDC is responsible for many City contracting opportunities and projects with M/WBE firms. The program was modelled after successful mentoring programs at the NYC School Construction Authority and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. This type of mentoring program is the first for a New York City agency. (more…)

1490 Southern Boulevard. Image Credit: NYC HPD.

The building features multiple green spaces for seniors. On September 29, 2021, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced the ribbon cutting of a new 100 percent affordable senior housing development at 1490 Southern Boulevard in the Crotona Park East section of the Bronx. The site was previously a vacant lot. (more…)

Image Credit: ElectrifyNYC/Mayor’s Office for Climate and Sustainability.

On September 20, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the launch of ElectrifyNYC, a program that will help New Yorkers install solar panels and air source heat pump technology. The program is designed to help the City advance its goals of reducing carbon emissions creating equitable access to green technologies.  (more…)

Mayor de Blasio signs Executive Order 59 on July 28, 2020. Image Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

The City awarded over $3 billion in contracts to minority and women-owned businesses in FY19. The City is On July 28, 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Executive Order 59 to increase the City’s utilization of Minority and Women-Owned Businesses (M/WBEs), and also announced numerous programs with the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity that will connect Black and Latinx entrepreneurs to business opportunities. (more…)