The NYCHA Journal

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Comp Mod visioning session
Comprehensive Modernization Top Story 

NYCHA Issues Request for Proposal for $740 Million Comprehensive Modernization of More Than 2,000 Apartments

Michael

St. Nicholas Houses and Todt Hill Houses will be the designated sites for a holistic approach that favors campus-wide renovations over minimum-based repairs

The framework is made possible through $2.2. billion in funding provided through the approval of the City Capital Action Plan by the Federal Monitor in May 2021

On November 9, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) targeting three short-listed firms related to major capital repair needs at St. Nicholas Houses in Harlem and Todt Hill Houses on Staten Island. The entities Community Modernization Group (CMG), St. Nicholas Revitalization Partners (SNRP), and Technico/Mega JV are the final candidates for St. Nicholas Houses whereas Community Modernization Group (CMG), Dynamic US, Inc, and Technico/Mega JV are the final shortlisted candidates for Todt Hill. The formal solicitation marks a major step forward in utilizing Comprehensive Modernization – an approach to project delivery that eschews component-based repairs in favor of capital improvements that take the needs of an entire NYCHA campus into account. The framework for capital repairs and renovations are being guided by a robust resident engagement process that began in late 2021 to identify resident needs around such key factors as resident input into design, resident priorities, compliance-based requirements of the funding, temporary moves, and continued communication during renovation. This approach was first proposed by NYCHA in the City Capital Action Plan approved by the Federal Monitor in May 2021 in accordance with the 2019 HUD agreement and will use City and federal funding. Shortlisted firms from the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) released in June 2022 will first receive a draft RFP to solicit their feedback, followed by a final RFP, and will have until May 2023 to submit their proposals for these large-scale investments.

“New York City is committed to providing all residents with the safe and stable homes that they deserve, and that means fighting for our neighbors in NYCHA. We are excited to move the Comprehensive Modernization commitment forward at St. Nicholas and Todt Hill Houses and find our partners to deliver these long overdue repairs,” said Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “This $740 million City investment in NYCHA will rehab and upgrade the homes of over 4,000 New Yorkers, which have spent too many years waiting for repairs. The release of the Comprehensive Modernization RFPs are a win for NYCHA residents and an important step in preserving our most critical affordable housing.”

“The preservation of affordable housing is a priority at HUD, and these actions bring Todt Hill Houses and St. Nicholas Houses closer to becoming homes residents will be proud to live in,” said the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development’s (HUD) Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey Alicka Ampry-Samuel. “Design-build is efficient, and residents can soon enjoy safe, decent homes and improved quality of life.”

“After decades of disinvestment and against a backdrop of tremendous capital need, we can no longer afford not to address these buildings in an integrated and all-inclusive way,” said NYCHA Interim CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “NYCHA worked closely with tenant leadership to shape an RFP process that prioritizes the needs of our residents. Combining this collaborative approach with the innovative design-build project delivery method will result in a significant modernization of facilities at these campuses.”

“As the Tenant Association President of St. Nicholas Houses, I represent over 3,000 residents,” said St. Nicholas Houses Tenant Association President Leslie Johnson. “That population is equivalent to a small city in itself. The residents are ecstatic to know that the Comp Mod project is moving forward in the process that would ensure the most qualified contractor. We look forward to seeing the planned improvements take shape as partners with NYCHA.”

“Selecting the best contractor to do the work at Todt Hill Houses is integral for the Comp Mod project to succeed. I am thrilled that NYCHA will be prioritizing experience, qualifications and resident needs in the selection process as opposed to the ‘lowest bidder,’” said Todt Hill Houses Tenant Association President Doreen Williams. “This is a great step forward! The residents of Todt Hill are on-board and eager to work with NYCHA to see an improvement in their quality of life and for all future generations.”

The May 2021 approval of the City Capital Action Plan by the Federal Monitor unlocked $2.2 billion in funding support for addressing key pillar areas of the HUD agreement, primarily around lead-based paint and mold abatement but also around other infrastructure needs. The major infusion of capital support empowered the Authority to adopt a more ambitious approach to repair, organized around the benchmarks of:

  • Improving resident health and well-being
  • Improving capital resilience
  • Updating building systems
  • Making maintenance and operations more efficient
  • Achieving regulatory and code compliance

In early 2022, NYCHA organized virtual and in-person community visioning workshops with residents of St. Nicholas Houses and Todt Hill Houses to give them an opportunity to outline their preferred renovation priorities. This feedback informed the RFP issued to design and construction firms with previous experience in projects of this magnitude. The short-listed top three teams from the RFQ process will now provide proposals, including a 30 percent design document to the Authority for consideration of the best approach for addressing the renovation needs of these developments and other factors, such as managing temporary moves and communicating with residents on construction progress.

The renovation plans considered as part of the RFP process mark a shift from the traditional design-bid-build framework to the design-build framework, which establishes a single contract from firms for both design and construction, thereby apportioning a single point of responsibility and shortening the procurement process. Enabled through state approval of the Public Works Investment Act of 2019, the design-build approach helps to improve the schedule for capital repair projects by reducing procurement timelines and enabling an overlap between the design and construction phases.

Similarly, the approach also helps the Authority save money by allowing for an engineering and constructability analysis during the design timeline and reducing change orders through improved coordination. The design-build framework prioritizes firms that provide the best value; other key factors of consideration include the quality of the proposed design, the impact on NYCHA residents, the anticipated project duration, the successful completion of similar projects, as well as overall team experience.

Proposing firms must submit a visioning framework for soliciting input from residents, and the selected design-build team will be required to engage with residents at set milestones – to allow for continued feedback and an understanding of what to expect.

Photo caption: A Comprehensive Modernization community visioning workshop at St. Nicholas Houses.