Protecting new yorkers through improvements and replacements

Through regular maintenance, we extend the life of city assets and make sure that we are providing the highest level of service to New Yorkers today. For example, over the next 10 years, DOT is planning to commit more than $16 billion toward repairs and replacements that will ensure the safety of its over 800 bridges and tunnels for decades to come.

This TYCS also includes targeted investments in facilities that provide housing and healthcare services for New Yorkers. DHS will spend $70 million to modernize fire safety systems at 21 city-owned homeless shelters. The City has also committed $2.2 billion toward NYCHA’s Capital Action Plan, which is designed to implement repairs and reduce its future capital needs, and $4.4 billion to NYCHA’s Ten-Year Capital Plan (2024-2033) for infrastructure improvements, major building modernizations and upgrades, and in-unit apartment repairs. In collaboration with residents, NYCHA is establishing the groundbreaking Public Housing Preservation Trust to renovate 25,000 apartments, with more to come, which will dramatically improve residents’ quality of life while preserving all their rights and protections and providing economic opportunities. The high-quality renovations include the latest sustainable technologies and will be completed faster than before thanks to improved procurement processes. Additionally, DOHMH is renovating neighborhood health center buildings. For example, improvements to the Corona Health Center include an ADA-accessible entrance and a new insulated roof to reduce the heat island effect.

For more detail on the City’s heat mitigation investments as a response to climate change, see, Guiding Principle 3.

Promoting energy efficiency

DCAS is responsible for purchasing the energy necessary to operate all city buildings including schools and community colleges, cultural institutions, libraries, offices, police precincts, fire houses, and wastewater resource recovery facilities. Since buildings and other facilities constitute close to 90% of municipal emissions, DCAS is leading the way in emissions reductions and energy efficiency efforts.

Over the last nine years, DCAS has invested over $775 million in energy efficiency and clean energy generation projects. Investments have decreased energy use by about 3.7 million MMBtus (roughly the amount of energy used by 250,000 city residences) saving almost $115 million in annual energy costs. Emissions were also reduced by over 325,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of removing over 70,000 cars from the road.

Through fiscal year 2021, the most recent year for which data is available via the City’s Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, the city government has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 26% from the fiscal year 2006 baseline, compared to 18% for the private sector. Over the next 10 years, we will continue to make aggressive investments in more efficient and clean energy generation infrastructure.

DCAS has been allocated $4.3 billion to meet near-term goals of energy and emission reductions and ensure that the City is on track to meet the longer-term goals of an 80% reduction in its emissions and carbon neutrality by 2050. These types of investments are expected to continue paying dividends by avoiding energy costs, catalyzing green jobs, enhancing social infrastructure, improving air quality and public health, and environmental justice initiatives.

Incorporating modern design standards

We are continually improving the design of our infrastructure to meet long-term needs. The City is implementing new standards for resiliency, public health, and accessibility. For example, agencies are adapting their design practices and standards to promote efficiency. DDC has implemented Office Master Specifications (OMS), a cloud-based digital specification writing platform to promote the quality and efficient design of public buildings by reducing constructability challenges, streamlining building code compliance, reducing review time, and reducing the overuse of costly, non-standard materials.

To support a more efficient construction phase, DDC has also launched several key tools that foster collaboration and innovation. Developed in coordination with OMB and the Comptroller, the Expanded Work Allowance program allocates funding at the beginning of a project for certain types of change orders to ensure that construction can advance despite predictable changes. DDC has piloted early completion incentives to encourage contractors’ innovation in speeding work and has incorporated cost adjustments to help contractors cope with price fluctuation without inflating bid prices. These tools together are expected to streamline the construction phase and are now being rolled out citywide.

Modernizing facilities and equipment

Beyond maintaining existing assets in a state of good repair, the City continuously updates its facilities and equipment to ensure that they are meeting the evolving needs of New Yorkers. Neighborhood plans provide an opportunity to identify needed facilities for a community. As part of the implementation of the Bay Street Neighborhood Plan, the new Mary Cali Dalton Recreation Center will provide important health and wellness resources to Staten Island’s diverse North Shore community. The new 45,000 square-foot NYC Parks facility will include basketball courts, multipurpose areas, fitness and cardio rooms, a covered garage, and electric vehicle charging. This will be NYC Parks’ first design-build project, which will allow for cost savings to the City and a faster development timeline.

The City is also committed to closing the jails on Rikers Island and investing in four modern borough-based jails (BBJ). The modernization of the City’s jails is focused on creating a humane and productive environment.

The BBJ program will place detained individuals closer to their communities and strengthen connections to families, attorneys, courts, medical and mental health care, and faith and community- based organizations. The four new facilities will be designed to foster safety and well-being for both those incarcerated and for staff, providing space for quality education, health, and therapeutic programming. Being closer to home and transit will enhance the network of support systems for people who are detained and help prevent future returns to jail.

DDC, MOCJ, and DOC engaged an independent peer review comprised of renowned architects and designers to guide the City’s design process, complementing an extensive public review process engaging local neighborhood leaders, civic associations, and community boards to provide input on the design. The authorization to use design-build for this program encourages innovative approaches and cost-efficient project delivery with a shorter timeline from design initiation to completion.

See Guiding Principle 1 for more information on the design-build project delivery.