The NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) has awarded contracts for two major NYC Parks projects to Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs), marking a significant milestone in the city’s ongoing commitment to equitable contracting.
On Tuesday, March 12, the DDC announced that contracts had been awarded for the design and construction of the new $128 million Roy Wilkins Recreation Center in St. Albans and a $22 million project to build six new public restrooms in parks across the city.
The selected M/WBEs are part of DDC’s design-build pilot program, which streamlines construction by integrating design and construction services under a single contract. The agency anticipates saving 3.3 years of project time and 10% in costs compared to traditional lowest-bidder contracting.
The M/WBEs involved in the projects are joint venture Triton-Elite JV., which will build the new Roy Wilkins Recreation Center, and Armand Construction Corp., which received the contract for park restrooms.
Elite Construction Company of New York is a city-certified minority-owned business and a key member of the Triton-Elite JV joint venture.
Triton-Elite JV comprises a team of experienced M/WBE sub-consultants based on their technical design and engineering expertise across ethnic and gender certification categories.
Additionally, Triton-Elite JV partnered with Crescent Consulting Associates, a City-certified minority-owned business with ties to Queens. Crescent Consulting Associates will support the continuous engagement of local businesses during the project’s duration.
The new 67,000-square-foot recreation center features a swimming pool with men’s and women’s lockers, a gymnasium, a running track, weight and fitness rooms, and multi-purpose space. It is expected to be completed in Spring 2029.
In June 2024, the DDC announced that three design-build teams were selected to respond to a Request for Proposal in a competition for the contract award.
Armand Construction Corp. is a City-certified, minority woman-owned business. Barbara Armand Kushner, president and owner of Armand Corporation, is also the president emeritus of the national chapter of Professional Women in Construction.
Armand Kushner has partnered with the DDC to successfully complete previous time-sensitive projects, including the rollout of multiple COVID-19 vaccine distribution centers and emergency renovations at Rikers Island.
Armand Construction Corp. is working with an all-M/WBE design team, with 100 % M/WBE utilization planned for the project’s design phase. The $22 million project is the first design-build contract awarded to Armand Construction Corp. and is expected to be completed by Fall 2026.
In accordance with DDC’s contract requirements, design-build teams must continuously meet with community leaders and local stakeholders to meet or exceed the M/WBE and workforce participation goals as stated in these contracts.
DDC is the leading agency for contract awards to M/WBEs. In Fiscal Year 2024, DDC awarded over $580 million in contracts to M/WBEs.
Thomas Foley, the DDC commissioner, said the design-build program allows the DDC to deliver resources throughout NYC at a much faster rate and at a lower cost.
“Design-build provides an added bonus of attracting the best and brightest contractors and designers to our projects and expanding the vendor pool, including to prominent M/WBE firms,” Foley shared in a statement. “We can also continue to set ambitious M/WBE goals to further connect with new contractors. Advancing the cause of M/WBEs is one small way we honor the legacy of famed civil rights leader Roy Wilkins.”
Sue Donoghue, NYC Parks commissioner, added that NYC Parks’ recreation centers provide affordable, vital community spaces for New Yorkers.“. We’re proud to be delivering a brand-new recreation center at Roy Wilkins Park, one of the many investments we’re making in Southeast Queens to ensure that these neighborhoods can access all the benefits of time in our rec centers and greenspaces,” she said.
“Additionally, the six new public restrooms being built throughout the city are a fantastic step forward in our ongoing effort to ensure New Yorkers can spend valuable uninterrupted time in our parks. Public facilities like recreation centers and restrooms aren’t luxuries – they’re essential infrastructure that makes our city more livable, and we’re excited to continue working with our partners across city government to deliver these critical resources,’ Donoghue added.
