Important RH Houses Construction update at the Miccio – tomorrow at 6:30, by Nathan Weiser

On Wednesday, February 7, from 6:30 until 8:00 pm at the Miccio Community Center (110 West 9^th Street)  NYCHA and the architects of the new designs for Sandy recovery construction will let the community know exactly where the project stands today, the final project design.

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and their construction firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) broke ground last September  for the start of the much anticipated roof replacements and overall re-construction project.  This is the plan that is being paid for by FEMA funding for hurricane resiliency.

Anne Sewall, KPF spokesperson, says that the meeting will be about 45 minutes and will include a question and answer period.

The Office of Recovery and Resilience will begin with an overview and scope of the work. They will also include a timeline for the construction.

The next topic will be the design update,  followed by a construction update and a discussion about the status of the local jobs available.

The meeting will conclude with questions from the audience.

KPF is a world class architectural firm.  They designed the World Bank Headquarters in Washington D.C. Their design was the winner of three AIA awards, and the scheme was called “a model of ingenuity, good design and precision engineering.”

Another project that they have received awards for is the Robert H. Jackson United States Courthouse in Buffalo.

The KPF firm consists of 550 staff led by 30 principals, with offices in New York, London, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul and Abu Dhabi.

This project is funded by FEMA to improve conditions at NYCHA, which comes five years after Hurricane Sandy ravaged the neighborhood.

Back in September, it was announced that the plan was to replace all 28 roofs of the Red Hook Houses by the end of 2019. They said that replacing the roofs will benefit residents who will see fewer leaks and a better quality of life.

At the groundbreaking, NYCHA Chair Shola Olatoye announced the total investment in the Red Hook Houses and the scope of what the money will fix in the complex.

“Our Sandy work proves that with sufficient federal funding, public housing can provide safe stable homes in weather events,” Olatoye said. “In Red Hook, we are investing $500 million to repair all roofs, install a new heating and hot water system, as well as structural reinforcement, flood protection and full backup power new playgrounds and improved retail spaces.”

Olatoye went on to add how momentous the day was for the future of NYCHA residents.

“Today we are moving closer to repairing that damage {from Sandy} by building back stronger with storm resilient technology so that NYCHA residents will be safer in future storms,” Olatoye said in front of 791 Hicks Street.

Back in September, Councilman Carlos Menchaca talked about how much respect KPF has around the world and how he wants the firm to be held accountable.

“We have an incredible team at KPF that is one of the best and leading designers in the world,” Councilman Carlos Menchaca added. “We need to continue to hold them accountable throughout the rest of the process, and I am confident that with your support and with you being in the room and making your voices heard that we are not only going to get new roofs but that we are going to get the jobs that we deserve.”