Three Design-Build Teams Selected to Compete for Contract to Design and Build the Future East Side Greenway 14th Street Connector

DDC: Ian Michaels, 646-939-6514, michaelia@ddc.nyc.gov

(Long Island City, NY – July 29, 2025) Commissioner Thomas Foley of the NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) announced today that following a review of qualifications, the agency has selected the three design-build teams that will respond to a Request for Proposal (RFP) to earn the right to design and construct the future East side Greenway 14th Street Connector. The Connector will replace the very narrow path that now exists from the north end of East River Park to Captain Patrick J. Brown Walk on the East River, providing a wider path suitable for two-way pedestrian and bike traffic.

Construction for the $163 million project is expected to start fall 2027 and substantial completion is expected early 2030. DDC estimates that the City will save two years and $16 million using design-build for the project instead of traditional lowest bidder contracting. The RFP that the three selected design-build teams will respond to is expected to be issued at the end of August.

“Our design-build program is expanding and transforming the way the City builds,” said DDC Commissioner Thomas Foley. “Our work in East River Park for East Side Coastal Resiliency includes preparations for the future 14th Street Connector, and once we start construction we anticipate saving two years thanks to design-build.”

The design-build project delivery approach offers several advantages over the traditional lowest bidder contracting model that the City has historically been required to use, including best value selection as well as reduced project costs and project timelines. DDC is also using design-build to create the new Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center which is expected to open in Brooklyn before the end of 2025, saving at least three years of project time in the process.

The three design-build teams (in alphabetical order) are:

Skanska USA Building Inc./Claire Weisz Architects, LLP (WXY)
Walsh Construction Co II/Jacobs Civil Consultants Inc.
Weeks Marine inc./Kiewit Engineering Corp

The three selected teams previously responded to a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) with Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) demonstrating their ability to develop and implement innovative designs that will bring maximum value to the City while creating a superior project.

The City highly encourages participation by Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) and will set significant requirements for M/WBE participation in the program’s Design-Build contracts. To learn more about how eligible firms can become certified as an M/WBE, please visit Certify With the City.

More information about design-build contracting opportunities at the NYC Department of Design and Construction is available at https://designbuild.ddcanywhere.nyc/.

About the NYC Department of Design and Construction
The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor Adams’ long-term vision of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, and new or upgraded roads, sewers and water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $34 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to City projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.