Design and Construction Report staff writer
The Battery Park City Authority has signed a Project Labor Agreement with the Building and Construction Trades Council for the $1.7 billion Battery Park City Resiliency Project, the first project in New York City to use the progressive design-build model.
The PLA is expected to support thousands of union jobs and expand opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses and service-disabled veteran-owned firms. It also commits the project to family-sustaining wages and expanded career pathways for apprentices, women, youth and veterans.
A joint venture between Turner Construction Co. and SPC Construction Co. LLC will deliver the project under a single design-build contract intended to streamline development, control costs and reduce risk. Construction is scheduled to begin this fall on a new coastal flood protection system extending from First Place along the Esplanade, crossing West Street/Route 9A, and continuing to Greenwich Street above Chambers Street.
The resiliency project is designed to protect Lower Manhattan from rising seas, heavy rainfall and storm surge while also upgrading public spaces. Plans call for accessible walkways, additional seating and expanded landscaping.
Plantings on the South Esplanade will increase by 30%, with 85% consisting of native species, and roughly 1,200 feet of bulkhead will be rebuilt to support marine life. FEMA’s removal of Battery Park City from the flood zone is expected to lower flood insurance costs for local homeowners.
The PLA ensures local skilled labor will be used throughout construction and promotes participation from MWBE and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. Apprenticeship programs, including Helmets to Hardhats, will provide training and workforce development support.
Turner-SPC and the authority collaborated with ARCADIS US, Bjarke Ingels Group, SCAPE Landscape Architecture and other consultants on the project’s design, incorporating feedback from community members and stakeholders.
