NYC DDC receives 11 engineering excellence awards from ACEC New York
Commissioner Thomas Foley of the NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) announced on November 26, 2024, that the agency has received 11 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards from the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC New York) for capital projects in Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens, including top Diamond Awards for Project Area 2 of East Side Coastal Resiliency and the new NYPD 116th Precinct.
The ACEC 58th Annual Engineering Excellence Awards Galawill be held at the Hilton Midtown on April 5, 2025.
“Whether it’s infrastructure to stop flooding in Queens and Brooklyn or road safety improvements on Pelham Parkway in the Bronx, these 11 projects are changing the lives of New Yorkers and prove that DDC builds the coolest stuff that helps everyone,” said DDC Commissioner Thomas Foley in a press release. “Our portfolio is growing and evolving all the time to meet the needs of a changing city, and battling the effects of climate change through projects that promote green infrastructure and sustainability. The ACEC awards have done a remarkable job of capturing those changing priorities. We are very grateful for their recognition and thank ACEC for working with us on capital process reform.”
East side coastal resiliency – East 15th Street to East 25th Street (diamond award)
The first section of East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) to be completed covers the area between East 15th Street and Asser Levy Playground at East 25th Street. This section of ESCR revamped three separate recreation areas: Asser Levy Playground, Stuyvesant Cove Park and Murphy Brothers Playground.
The $163 million section was $10 million under its original projected budget and was completed two months ahead of schedule. Construction on the second section, PA1, is underway and anticipated to be completed by the end of 2026.
Broad channel phase 2 (platinum and gold)
Phase 2 of DDC’s Broad Channel program raised roads by approximately three feet and reconstructed over 140 residential driveway areas to match the elevation of the new raised streets. Four new bulkheads were installed at the end of streets to protect residents from the waters of Jamaica Bay. In August 2020 the city completed phase one, a similar project, at a cost of $46 million.
Over 3,000 feet of new storm sewers were installed, approximately 3,500 feet of water mains and over 3,000 feet of sanitary sewers were also upgraded. The project also installed a new shared sidewalk design similar to phase one, which allows narrow streets to work as both vehicle pathways and wider pedestrian areas. The project was completed on schedule and $4 million under budget.
Whitestone, Queens flood prevention (platinum and gold)
Two major infrastructure projects in Whitestone, Queens that added nearly six miles of new storm sewers in the neighborhood to improve stormwater drainage were also recognized by ACEC. The projects, which totaled $128 million, replaced nearly nine miles of old water mains and two miles of sanitary sewers. The upgrades now prevent 29 million gallons of pollution from entering Flushing Bay each year.
Work was completed eight months ahead of schedule and covered a span of over 120 individual blocks, including along entry points to the Whitestone Expressway and Cross Island Parkway. The project also installed new pedestrian ramps, roadway surfaces, and sidewalks, and upgraded traffic signals and street lighting.
Pellham Parkway phase 2 (platinum)
Pelham Parkway Phase II included vast improvements to the westbound Main Road and North Service Road between Stillwell Avenue and Boston Road, including the replacement of underground utilities, upgrading of drainage structures and the installation of new sewer, trunk, and distribution water mains. Over 200 catch basins were milled, paved and reconstructed, and over 300 new trees were planted.
The $129 million project installed 1.7 miles of new bus lanes that primarily serve the BX12 Select Bus Service route, the busiest bus route in the Bronx, providing a critical cross-Bronx transportation corridor connecting Co-op City to Manhattan.
Water mains on Jay Avenue (silver)
This $7.1 million project took place in various locations in Queens, including the neighborhoods of Astoria, Maspeth, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, and replaced 1.5 miles of distribution water mains with new ductile iron pipes to improve water distribution in these areas. New 12-inch-diameter water main pipes were installed with a reinforced concrete cradle on a gravel base on Broadway between 37th Avenue and 72nd Street, due to its proximity to one of the busiest underground MTA subway hubs in Queens. To improve fire safety, 26 new hydrants were installed. Roads were also restored with concrete road base and asphalt.
Park slope storm and sanitary upgrades (silver)
This $40.7 million project in Park Slope, Brooklyn replaced over 1.6 miles of older water mains with more durable ductile iron pipe and installed a new 72-inch stainless steel trunk main in Flatbush Avenue. Over 5,000 feet of combined sewers were replaced, more than 40 catch basins were installed and to enhance fire protection 30 new hydrants were added. Over 1,100 feet of curb were replaced, 14,500 square feet of sidewalk were upgraded, and more than four acres of asphalt were replaced. The project also upgraded nearly 20 corner pedestrian ramps to be ADA-compliant.
The neighborhood’s 8th Avenue Triangle was revitalized with improvements to sidewalk, curb, neckdown, curb extensions, new benches, and granite edging. Additionally, 130 shrubs were planted in the plaza.
Green infrastructure installation in Brooklyn (silver)
This $16.6 million project installed over 600 green infrastructure assets in Brooklyn, mostly in the Crown Heights neighborhood. This included seven green strips, 530 infiltration basins, and over 70 rain gardens/bioswales, to reduce flooding in the area. Construction for this project involved the excavation, backfill of open-graded stones and engineered soil, and the construction of reinforced concrete inlets and outlets, concrete curbs, precast headers, sidewalks and plantings, including trees.
Park slope armory investigation and stabilization (silver)
This project, which cost approximately $835,000, investigated the causes of the depressed slab at the drill floor of the 126-year-old Park Slope Armory, and designed and installed a temporary shoring system to stabilize the slab. The project included a final site investigation with recommended solutions that will permanently address the structural deficiencies at the Armory in a future capital project.
Work included an immediate structural stabilization of the foundation wall and slab with aluminum composite materials (ACM), lead abatement, injection foam to fill the cellar slab, and the construction of two steel shoring systems in the cellar to laterally support the foundation wall where the depressed drill floor slab sits. Structural monitoring devices for the continuing movement of the floor were also installed.
