New York Construction Report staff writer
The NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) and local elected officials celebrated the topping off of the structural steel for the new 116th Precinct in southeast Queens this week. The event marks the installation of the last beam atop of the new building, which is on-time to be completed in early-2024.
The 33,000 sq. ft. building with a community centre is progressing on time and on budget.
“It’s not by mistake when these things happen and they’re happening more often,” said Commissioner of DDC Tom Foley said at the ceremony. “This is what we expect. This is what we demand upon ourselves or expediting capital projects within the City of New York.
“Make no mistake. There are huge challenges, but we’re up to the task.”
The precinct project, by Gartner Architects, was designed a year ahead of schedule.
“We were here a year ago putting shovels into … a created sandbox. It shows you the power of partnerships, working with Sinolta, our builder; with Tectonic, our engineering team . . . It really shows the effort we are making to improve capital delivery in the city.”
Foley highlighted contract incentives for the project to be completed ahead of schedule and “we look forward to paying this over to Sinolta,” Foley said. “As soon as we can get this building, this service, this community centre, this precinct, back to the community .. . then we’ve done our job.”
The new 116th Precinct will serve the neighborhoods of Rosedale, Laurelton, Springfield Gardens and Floral Park and deliver a community meeting space and a new public plaza. It’s the first new precinct established in New York City since 2013 and will serve the neighborhoods of Rosedale, Brookville, Laurelton and Springfield Gardens.
“In addition to answering the communities call for public safety, the 116th NYPD Precinct will be a prominent neighborhood asset with community meeting space and a new public plaza,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “I am excited to celebrate this exciting milestone, as DDC delivers this project on-time and on-budget.”
The new 116th Precinct is located in the Rosedale neighborhood of Queens.
“From the outset, the conception, design, and construction of the new 116th Precinct in southeast Queens has been carried out in close collaboration with the people it will soon serve,” said NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewel.
After decades of advocating for a new precinct for Rosedale, Brookville, Laurelton, and Springfield Gardens, and securing $105 million, NYC Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers said the new facility will “provide vital community space for residents, enhancing Council District 31 residents’ quality of life.
Construction began in August 2021. DDC is managing the design and construction for NYPD. The total projected cost is $104.8 million. The new 48,410-square-foot Precinct has been designed with a Community Meeting Room on the first floor, with a dedicated entrance from the front of the building, to allow members of the neighborhood to engage with the precinct in a way that strengthens awareness of the NYPD’s commitment to community policing.
A second parking lot will be located in front of the existing 105th Precinct Annex. A public plaza leading to the Long Island Railroad will occupy the western area featuring benches, a water filling station, bicycle racks and new landscaping.
