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*The following information was last updated on April 11, 2008.
- Decontamination and cleaning began on March 13, 2008 following regulator approval
- Debris and walls removal is now taking place along with other preparations through appx. June 2008; 40-man crews are working double shifts daily
- Trucking debris out of site along West Street
- Deconstruction will follow decontamination; each phase is expected to take six months to complete
Project History
From 2002 though 2004 CUNY and DASNY negotiated insurance claims on Fiterman Hall. After sufficient funding was in place to determine the scopeof the project, the project team selected the architectural firm of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners to both lead the development of the building’s hazardous waste cleanup and demolition procedures as well as design the new building. Pei Cobb continues to work with a team of design, construction, and environmental professionals. Tishman/Liro, a construction management firm, is also providing services for the deconstruction and decontamination work.
During the summer and fall of 2005, the Fiterman project proceeded along two tracks: planning for the decontamination and deconstruction of the original building (Phase 1) and designing the new building that will replace it (Phase 2). The architects working on design documents for Phase 2 are operating under the assumption that the new building will be approximately the same size as the old building. The new facility will provide space for classrooms, computer labs, offices, assembly and meeting rooms, and other spaces to accommodate college programs and community functions.
DASNY advertised for a general contractor for Phase 1 with a December 29, 2005, deadline for Expressions of Interest and Statements of Qualifications. Bids from the pre-qualified contractors were due on May 9, 2006. The contractor selected in the bidding process would be responsible for interior and exterior environmental cleaning, including building contents, erecting the scaffold, and deconstruction. All work would be conducted under special monitoring requirements applicable to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) WTC Recovery Zone and will occur within the jurisdiction of the USEPA WTC Recovery Program. The entire structure will be sealed and scaffolded during the remediation process.
On May 9, 2006, DASNY opened contractor bids for remediation and demolition. After reviewing all four bids, in July 2006 the Authority determined that none were fully responsive to all environmental specifications and decided to re-bid the project. An addendum to clarify requirements and expectations was prepared for the pre-qualified firms. From the pool of pre-qualified contractors, DASNY sought a new round of bids due on August 3, 2006. PAL Environmental Safety Corp., 11-02 Queens Plaza South, Long Island City, was selected for Phase 1. The contract value is $16,313,000.
To start construction as soon as possible, DASNY advertised in the New York State Contract Reporter for a construction manager (CM) for the new building. Expressions of Interest were received on January 12, 2006. The CM will hold all construction trade contracts for the project in a CM-at-Risk or CM-Build capacity. Firms were required to demonstrate successful completion of similarly complex projects in the New York City region. In the summer of 2006, Hunter Roberts Construction Group was selected as the CM to over see the construction of the new Fiterman Hall.
Environmental Issues
Remediation and Regulatory Reviews
Development of the decontamination and deconstruction plan began in June 2005. The project team consulted with federal, state, and local environmental, health, and regulatory agencies to develop a safe and efficient plan. By the fall of 2005, a draft decontamination outline was ready for CUNY and DASNY review. Site access and traffic plans were coordinated with the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center (LMCCC). Consultants continued to study contaminants in the building, as well as construction safety issues. The required State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) is also being conducted in tandem with development of decontamination and deconstruction plans.
In January 2006, the project team submitted the preliminary decontamination and deconstruction plan to the EPA for approval, with comments from EPA received on April 14, 2006. On October 5, 2006, the project team submitted the scaffolding plan, as a submission separate from remediation and deconstruction plans, to the EPA. This submission also included the Environmental Characterization Report, Facade Characterization Report, and Environmental Community Air Monitoring Plan. Comments on this submission were received from the EPA on December 13, 2006.
On March 23, 2007, the EPA approved Fiterman Hall Scaffold Plans. Airtek Environmental Corp., the environmental consultant for the project, has installed air monitors and started the required two-week background sampling period. After sampling results from this period have been reviewed by the EPA, work to install the scaffold is anticipated to commence in mid-April.
In December 2006, revised draft submittals for the clean-up phase of the Remediation Phase were made available for public comment on the BMCC Fiterman Hall News and LowerManhattan.info websites. After the public comment period, the revised full remediation plan was submitted to the EPA on January 17, 2007. Once the remediation plans are approved and work commences, the remediation and deconstruction work should be complete within 10 to 12 months. Deconstruction will commence after the building is fully cleaned and abated.
The project team has also drafted an Emergency Action Plan and Community Notification plan to address the unlikely event that the remediation or deconstruction work causes unsafe conditions. This draft plan has been made available to the community and was sent to the New York City Office of Emergency Management and the police and fire departments for review. When comments from concerned parties have been received and incorporated into the document, the project team will re-issue the plan.
On Friday, March 23, 2007, the EPA approved Fiterman Hall Scaffold Plans. Airtek Environmental Corp., the environmental consultant for the project, has installed air monitors and started the required two-week background sampling period. After sampling results from this period have been reviewed by the EPA, we anticipate the work to install the scaffold will commence in mid-April.
Community Outreach Efforts
The project team is committed to the safe and efficient decontamination, deconstruction and rebuilding of Fiterman Hall. The team continues to work closely with regulatory agencies and the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center (LMCCC) to ensure timely public notice and outreach on all significant activities.
Since June 2005, there have been regular updates both to the World Trade Center Redevelopment Committee of Community Board 1 and at the bi-weekly Community Outreach Meetings of the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center. NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver hosted well-attended meetings on September 7, 2006, and October 25, 2006, at which CUNY and DASNY provided project updates to a wide spectrum of legislators, representatives of elected officials, community, business and labor leaders. A public information session co-sponsored by Community Board 1 was held on October 30, 2006, at BMCC, with representatives from DASNY, CUNY, the environmental consultant, the construction management firm, and the contractor providing updates and answering questions. A follow-up meeting is scheduled for January 30, 2007, at 6:30 p.m. at the BMCC campus, and regular update meetings are planned for approximately every six weeks.
In November 2006, BMCC with CUNY launched a new e-mail newsletter, “Fiterman News: Keeping Our Community Informed.” More newsletter updates will follow as the project progresses. BMCC has also created a comprehensive website, www.bmcc.cuny.edu/fitermannews. This site will host the e-newsletter and anchor news about Fiterman. The site hosts a special subscription link to regular e-mail delivery of Fiterman News updates. Visitors can view architectural slideshows of the new Fiterman Hall. The site will also have a “Questions and Answers” feature which will enable visitors to email questions and obtain responses from college administrators.
In addition, at the request of public officials, CUNY has set up a Community Advisory panel consisting of federal and state legislators, local officials, college and university representatives, Community Board 1 representatives, and LMCCC representatives, as well as other community organizations, concerned citizens and other stakeholders. The first meeting of this committee will be held in NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s office on February 9, 2007, at 10 a.m.
As the project moves forward, BMCC, CUNY, and DASNY have enhanced outreach to ensure that all stakeholders receive news and information as soon as it becomes available and to provide an interactive space for community questions and concerns. The latest, up-to-date information on the project can be found here on this page, so please check back often.
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