NYCHA Now

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NYCHA Now
August 2016 

NYCHA Recognized for Excellence in Construction Management

Michael Corwin
From left are: CMAA’s Michael Tolliver, George Dandolos of STV, Inc., VP for Construction Programs Farhan Syed, GM Michael Kelly, Special Projets Dep. Dir. Chirag Patel, Special Projects Dir. Vijay Shah, and STV’s Lorjan Agalliu, Sokol Bejleri, Jatin Amin and Yakov Kifman.

The Construction Management Association of America’s (CMAA) New York and New Jersey chapter recognized the Authority for excellence in managing two major renovation projects at NYCHA developments—both of which were completed ahead of schedule—benefiting more than 6,800 residents.

The Kingsborough Houses renovation project in Brooklyn, which started in September of 2013 and was expected to take two years to finish, was completed three months ahead of schedule and almost $2 million below budget, costing a total of $32 million. The work focused on façade repairs and exterior upgrades for 16 six-story buildings and one 25-story building, benefiting more than 2,500 residents.

NYCHA is also being recognized by CMAA for renovation work completed at Ravenswood Houses in Queens two months ahead of schedule. That project, completed in September of 2015, also focused on exterior upgrades at 31 buildings inside the complex, costing a little over $31 million to complete and benefitting more than 4,300 residents.

“As part of NextGeneration NYCHA,” said General Manager Michael Kelly, “we are changing the way we do business to become a more efficient landlord, so our residents can live in cleaner, safer, and more connected communities. This recognition from the Construction Management Association of America is proof NYCHA is advancing towards that goal.”

NYCHA Construction Program Vice President Farhan Syed credited a team effort by his Special Projects group, which oversees NYCHA’s Bond B portfolio. “It’s a pleasure to work with such a proactive group to show that we can meet and exceed our commitments for on-time and on-budget work,” he said.

Capital Projects’ Special Projects Director Vijay Shah remarked: “The effective cooperation and coordination between construction management firms, Special Projects, and the Development Management Department made the on-time and under-budget completion of these complex projects possible. I am very proud of the role played by our Special Projects staff.”CMAA is North America’s only organization dedicated exclusively to the interests of professional construction and program management.