FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 09, 2025
CONTACT: media@nycha.nyc.gov | (212) 306-3322

 New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust Announces Shortlisted Firms to Compete for Contract to Perform Capital Renovations of Nearly 200 Apartments at Unity Towers in Brooklyn

Capital procurement is critical step in identifying modernization and preservation partners to deliver comprehensive renovations to residents, addressing all HUD pillar areas   
 

NEW YORK – On October 9, the New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust (the Trust), in partnership with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), announced a significant milestone in the procurement of services for major capital renovations and repairs at Unity Towers, in Brooklyn. With three firms shortlisted to compete for the contract, this capital procurement is a critical step in helping to identify modernization and preservation partners capable of delivering comprehensive renovations to over 400 residents in 192 apartments.

Unity Towers, the third NYCHA development to vote to join the Trust, will also be the third to release a design-build procurement solicitation, which, as part of the final scope, will address all pillar areas identified in the 2019 Agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Design-builders shortlisted through a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) issued in spring 2025 include Fifth Avenue Builders, Navillus, and Citnalta/Richards JV. These firms will be invited to submit detailed proposals (including 30 percent design documents) through the Request for Proposal (RFP) process in the coming months; this solicitation will inform the financial closing package for the development, which is projected to close in 2027. 

“I'm excited to see Unity Towers reach this milestone on the road to transforming their campus,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrión, Jr. “Thanks to the Trust model, this campus will receive a comprehensive renovation that will secure the future of these homes. I look forward to seeing residents enjoy the fruits of this transformation for generations to come.” 

“With today's announcement, we celebrate that 400 residents in Unity Towers are one step closer to getting comprehensive renovations of their homes,” said Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg. “I congratulate them, the Trust, and NYCHA on getting to this milestone, and I look forward to seeing this campus transform and its long-term future stabilized through the Trust program.” 

"This announcement of the shortlisted design-build firms for Unity Towers marks a pivotal moment for the third NYCHA community to vote to join the Trust," said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. "We are thrilled to be advancing these qualified firms to the next stage of procurement, a critical step toward delivering a project that will provide healthier, safer, and revitalized homes for hundreds of Unity Towers residents." 

“The announcement of this shortlist marks another major milestone in our promise to deliver comprehensive renovations under the Trust model,” said New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust President Vlada Kenniff. “At Unity Towers, we are pairing substantial resources with resident priorities — and now inviting some of the nation’s most experienced design-build firms to compete — to ensure that more than 400 New Yorkers finally see the modern, safe, and dignified homes they deserve.” 

“The selection of the shortlisted design-build teams marks an exciting next step for Unity Towers,” said Unity Towers Tenant Association President Elizabeth Maldonado. “This milestone represents real progress toward the vision residents have shared for years — safe, modern, and beautiful homes that reflect the pride we take in our community. Now, with qualified teams under consideration, we look forward to continuing our collaboration to ensure the final design reflects the needs and hopes of every Unity Towers resident. Our voices and experiences will continue to guide this process, and I’m confident that together we can deliver the lasting improvements our families deserve.” 

“As someone who spent nearly three decades working in NYCHA developments, I know firsthand what comprehensive modernization means for residents and their homes. It’s about restoring pride, safety, and comfort in the place they call home,” said New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust Board Member Pamela Campbell. “This next step for Unity Towers represents more than a construction milestone – it’s a commitment to residents that their voices and priorities are shaping every phase of this transformation.”  

The Trust, signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul in June 2022, is a fully public entity that is expected to unlock billions of dollars in federal funding for comprehensive renovations at NYCHA developments to improve living conditions for residents. Under the Trust, a development is kept 100 percent public and converted to the more stable, federally funded Project-Based Section 8 program, while residents maintain their rights, including permanently affordable rent. 

As dictated by the legislation, a property can only be moved to the Trust following a valid and binding vote from residents of that development. Residents help drive the priorities for the renovation project, including the procurement, design, and construction process, and ultimately will help oversee the quality of the work completed. Under the Trust model, NYCHA continues to manage the property, but the Trust oversees NYCHA’s operations and ensures accountability for meeting industry standards, with an emphasis on an improved resident experience at the property.

The announcement of these firms for Unity Towers is a significant milestone in the development’s transition from Section 9 to Section 8, a move that will double its current federal subsidy. The $40-$60 million design-build contract is one piece of a final package that will lay the groundwork to address the comprehensive needs of the development. he project will deliver holistic repairs to the third NYCHA development to vote for the Trust, which includes improvements to kitchens and bathrooms; accessibility upgrades; comprehensive electrical, plumbing, and ventilation system updates; and heating optimization. Additional work will include hazardous material abatement. The scope of work will be further developed after the procurement process is completed and one of these teams is selected.

A robust resident partnership process kicked off at Coney Island (Site 1B) in October 2024, after the August 2024 resident vote, to identify needs and shape modernization plans for the development. Between late November 2024 and February 2025, in-person and hybrid community visioning workshops and on-site surveys were conducted to identify key renovation priorities, ensuring that residents played a central role in shaping the Coney Island (Site 1B) Resident Priorities Report. Alongside on-site investigations and analysis, this report will inform the RFP issued to design and construction firms. The top three design-build firms identified in the RFQ process will now submit to the Trust for consideration detailed proposals about how to address the renovation needs of the development, plans for temporary relocation, and more.  

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About the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) 

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America, was created in 1934 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. NYCHA is home to 1 in 17 New Yorkers, providing affordable housing to 520,808 authorized residents through public housing and Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) programs as well as Section 8 housing. NYCHA has 177,569 apartments in 2,411 buildings across 335 conventional public housing and PACT developments. In addition, NYCHA connects residents to critical programs and services from external and internal partners, with a focus on economic opportunity, youth, seniors, and social services. With a housing stock that spans all five boroughs, NYCHA is a city within a city. 

About the New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust 

The New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust (the Trust) is dedicated to safeguarding public housing as a sustainable foundation for community and opportunity. By empowering residents and modernizing our buildings, the Trust secures a vibrant future for generations of New Yorkers. The Trust is a government agency that repairs, renovates, and modernizes public housing for residents in partnership with the New York City Housing Authority. The Trust will comprehensively renovate and improve operations of public housing through the resident-centric Modernization and Preservation (Trust Mod) Program.