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An apartment building in Flatbush.<\/p>\n
Photo by Susan De Vries<\/p>\n
The New York Road Contractors Association (NYRCA) announced this week that a major Brooklyn infrastructure project has wrapped up on schedule and at a significantly reduced cost \u2014 even after contractors faced an unexpected surge in private utility work that slowed progress for more than a year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The project<\/a>, which reconstructed 57 corners across a wide swath of Brooklyn neighborhoods \u2014 including East Flatbush, Remsen Village, Ditmas Village, Flatbush, Midwood, Ocean Parkway, Bensonhurst, Brighton Beach, Prospect Heights, Wingate, Bushwick and Greenpoint \u2014 was completed by JLJ Enterprises Inc.<\/p>\n According to NYRCA, the city\u2019s portion of the work was completed in just eight months, despite an unforeseen spike in private utility interference that extended the overall schedule. The contractor reportedly navigated a staggering \u201c2,500%+ increase\u201d in separately negotiated utility work \u2014 delays the association said were outside the City\u2019s control \u2014 yet still delivered the full project within the 24-month contract window.\u00a0<\/p>\n The final construction cost to the city came in at roughly $2 million, which NYRCA stressed is a dramatic savings compared to initial projections. That figure is more than 40% below the original low bid of $3.4 million and 63% below the City Engineer\u2019s estimate of $5.7 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n NYRCA leaders said the project should serve as a prime example of why New York City should expand its use of Section U, a procurement method used by the Department of Design and Construction<\/a> (DDC). Under Section U, contractors bid only on the public work while private utilities negotiate their own costs separately \u2014 a structure the association argues shields taxpayers from unpredictable utility expenses.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe New York Road Contractors Association and our partners are committed to delivering high-quality, on-time infrastructure for New Yorkers,\u201d a NYRCA spokesperson said. \u201cThis Brooklyn project is clear proof that Section U works. It allows contractors to perform the public work at a competitive price, separate from the complex and often unpredictable private utility negotiations. The result is a project delivered below budget for the taxpayers, even when facing massive, eleventh-hour scope changes in utility work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n