Department of Design and Construction311Search all NYC.gov websites
City Awards Two Major Design-Build Contracts to M/WBE Design-Build Teams
To Construct the Roy Wilkins Recreation Center in Queens and for Six Parks Restrooms for NYC Parks
DDC: Denisse Moreno, 718-391-1854, morenode@ddc.nyc.gov
NYC Parks: pressoffice@parks.nyc.gov
(Long Island City, NY – March 11, 2025) NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley and NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue announced today that two major NYC Parks projects that DDC is managing in its design-build pilot program have been awarded to Minority-and Women-Owned Business Enterprises, or M/WBEs.
The contract awards are for the design and construction of the new $128 million Roy Wilkins Recreation Center in St. Albans, Queens, and for a $22 million project that will build six new restrooms in various city parks, including Murphy Brothers Playground, East River Park, and Ruppert Park in Manhattan, Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, and Kissena Velodrome and Brookville Park in Queens. Using design-build, DDC anticipates saving a total of 3.3 years of project time and ten percent of cost compared to what would be possible with under the traditional system of lowest bidder contracting.
“Design-build allows DDC to deliver vital resources to every corner of the five boroughs faster, years ahead of the typical process and at a lower cost,” said DDC Commissioner Thomas Foley. “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. 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.”
“Our recreation centers are affordable, vital community spaces where New Yorkers can work up a sweat, develop new skills and interests, and connect with their neighbors. 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,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “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.”
“When Mayor Adams appointed me as NYC’s first Chief Business Diversity Officer, two of our priority commitments were to address historic inequities in the city’s procurement ecosystem by putting M/WBE firms in the critical path of available contracting opportunities, and to help modernize our outdated construction methods" said Chief Business Diversity Officer Michael J. Garner. “The aptly named Roy Wilkins Recreation Center project, which utilizes M/WBE construction firms and modern design-build methodologies, is an example of our commitment to a shared vision. A vision that emphasizes diversity, equity, efficiency, taxpayer savings, and cutting-edge processes, which will result in the construction of a modernized green space that will greatly benefit the Queens community with long-term economic benefits such as employment, homeownership, and access to healthcare. Just as importantly, by utilizing M/WBE firms and subconsultants in the delivery of this project, we honor the memory of civil rights icon Roy Wilkins who dedicated his entire life towards eradicating historic inequalities and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of society. I commend my colleagues, DDC Commissioner Thomas Foley and NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue, on this historic achievement.”
The new Roy Wilkins Recreation Center will be built by a joint venture called Triton-Elite JV. Key member of the joint venture, Elite Construction Company of New York, is a City-certified minority-owned business. Triton-Elite JV assembled a strong team of experienced M/WBE subconsultants across ethnic and gender certification categories based on their expertise in technical design and engineering. Additionally, Triton-Elite JV partnered with Crescent Consulting Associates, a City-certified minority-owned business with roots in the Queens community, to support the continuous engagement of diverse and local businesses and workforce throughout the course of project.
The new 67,000-square-foot recreation center will include a swimming pool with men’s and women’s lockers, gymnasium, running track, weight and fitness rooms and multi-purpose space. DDC in June 2024 announced three design-build teams that were selected to respond to a Request for Proposal in a competition for the contract award. The project is expected to be completed by Spring 2029.
Armand Construction Corp., which received the contract for parks restrooms, is a City-certified, minority woman-owned business. President and Owner of Armand Corporation, Barbara Armand Kushner, is President Emeritus of the national chapter of Professional Women in Construction and has been a key partner in the successful delivery of DDC’s most time-sensitive projects, like 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 percent 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.
Bundling the six public restrooms into a sole design-build project offers several advantages that helps improve efficiency, including keeping the design and materials at all sites consistent, allows for better coordination with utility companies, and the ability to streamline change orders with Expanded Work Allowance.
As part of DDC’s contract requirements, the design-build teams must engage with community leaders and other local stakeholders regularly to meet and exceed the M/WBE and workforce participation goals established on these contracts.
DDC is the leading agency for contract awards to M/WBEs. In Fiscal Year 2024 alone, DDC awarded over $580 million in contracts to Minority-and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs).
Design-Build and M/WBEs
The design-build project delivery approach offers several advantages over the traditional lowest bidder contracting model that the City has historically been required to use for construction, including best value selection as well as reduced project costs and project timelines. In addition, the design-build project delivery approach allows for the use of multiple tiers of subcontractors toward the M/WBE goal, which provides increased opportunity for participation of M/WBEs and other small businesses on these large construction projects. DDC is also using design-build to create the new Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in Brooklyn and the Mary Cali Dalton Recreation Center in Staten Island, saving at least two years and millions of dollars on each project. And DDC has awarded over $55 million to M/WBE firms for these two recreation center projects to date. Across all city agencies there are now 42 design-build projects in the works, saving more than 50 years of project time and $1.4 billion compared to the traditional system of lowest bidder contracting.
The City highly encourages participation by Minority-and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) and DDC will continue to push for increased M/WBE participation in the program’s Design-Build contracts. To learn more about how eligible firms can become certified as an M/WBE, please visit Certify With the City.
More information about design-build contracting opportunities at the NYC Department of Design and Construction is available at https://designbuild.ddcanywhere.nyc/.
“These firms play a critical role in meeting the growing demand in the construction industry, especially as design-build is rapidly becoming a preferred project delivery method,” said Lisa Washington, CAE, Executive Director/CEO of Design-Build Institute of America. “DDC’s commitment to engaging these firms in a meaningful way is commendable and will help strengthen the impact of design-build in New York City.”
“These two contracts for the design and construction of the new $128 million Roy Wilkins Recreation Center in Queens and a $22 million investment in six new public restrooms across NYC Parks represent a strong commitment by DDC to meet community needs by boosting M/WBE participation in the city’s innovative design-build program," said New York Building Congress President & CEO Carlo A. Scissura, Esq. "The design-build delivery approach significantly reduces costs and project timelines, while simultaneously increasing opportunities for M/WBE and community involvement throughout major construction projects. We applaud DDC for making the effort to achieve heightened M/WBE participation in more efficient projects and encourage the city to continue setting ambitious goals.”
About the NYC Department of Design and Construction
The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor Adams' long-term vision of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, and new or upgraded roads, sewers and water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $33 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to City projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.
About the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation
NYC Parks is the steward of more than 30,000 acres of land — 14 percent of New York City — including more than 5,000 individual properties ranging from Coney Island Beach and Central Park to community gardens and Greenstreets. We operate more than 800 athletic fields and nearly 1,000 playgrounds, 1,800 basketball courts, 550 tennis courts, 65 public pools, 51 recreational facilities, 15 nature centers, 14 golf courses, and 14 miles of beaches. We care for 1,200 monuments and 23 historic house museums. We look after 666,000 street trees, and five million more in parks. We are New York City's principal providers of recreational and athletic facilities and programs. We are home to free concerts, world-class sports events, and cultural festivals.