BMCC is part of the City University of New York (CUNY), which is working with the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) to decontaminate, deconstruct, and rebuild Fiterman Hall. For more than 30 years, CUNY and DASNY have been partners in new construction, renovation, and historic rehabilitation of CUNY buildings. By 9/11, DASNY and CUNY had virtually completed a total rehabilitation of Fiterman Hall, including extensive asbestos abatement. After the damage that resulted from the events of that day, the City of New York, DASNY, CUNY, and others took steps to clean out most of the debris, close breaches in the south façade, and stabilize the structure until more permanent steps could be taken. Mold and WTC dust has contaminated the building, which cannot be economically salvaged and must be taken down and reconstructed. Funding for the decontamination, deconstruction, and rebuilding is coming from sources including the New York State and City budgets, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the September 11 Fund, and a property insurance settlement. The project team of CUNY and DASNY remains committed to a safe and efficient deconstruction and rebuilding, working with regulatory agencies and the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center (LMCCC) and ensuring public notice and outreach on all significant activities. In November 2004, the project team selected the architectural firm of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners to design the building's hazardous waste cleanup and demolition procedures, as well as the new building. The firm is working with a team of design, construction, and environmental professionals. September 2006 Update PAL Environmental Safety Corp. of 11-02 Queens Plaza South, Long Island City, has been selected to remediate hazardous materials and take down Fiterman Hall. The contract value is $16,313,000. The project team will provide a regulatory submittal to EPA this month to scaffold the building first, separate from the pending proposal to remediation and deconstruct the building. PAL is working with the project team and its environmental consultants to complete the decontamination proposal as well. The project team expects to submit its full decontamination and deconstruction plan to EPA during October. DASNY and CUNY will hold a public meeting at that time. Consistent with its usual practice, EPA will post the submittal on its website after review. The decontamination of Fiterman Hall and its safe demolition should take eight months to one year, after EPA approval of the decontamination and deconstruction plan. Construction of the replacement Fiterman Hall is expected to be completed in late 2009. The project team is scheduled to make a presentation on the Fiterman project's status at the September 18th meeting of Community Board 1's World Trade Center Redevelopment Committee. In addition, the project team has been consulting with the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner about protocol for any discovery of human remains at the project site. CUNY and DASNY are committed to a safe and efficient deconstruction and rebuilding of Fiterman Hall, working with regulatory agencies and the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center (LMCCC) and ensuring public notice and outreach on all significant activities. Past Project Updates
- Summer and Fall 2005 Activities
In July 2005, the CUNY/DASNY team met with Community Board 1 to outline its plan:
- June 2005: Development phase of the decontamination plan began. The project team consulted with federal, state, and local environmental, health, and regulatory agencies to develop a safe and efficient plan.
- July/August 2005: A decontamination facility was built to allow for the safe entry and exit of environmental safety consultants and other personnel. Professional access began in August to characterize the contaminants in the building interior to provide a basis for the formulation of a decontamination and deconstruction plan.
- Fall 2005: Decontamination and deconstruction plans were finalized for CUNY and DASNY review. The Environmental Community Air Monitoring Plan, later submitted to the EPA for approval, calls for air monitors at the site and inside the work area.. Site access and traffic plans will be coordinated with the LMCCC. Consultants continued to study contaminants in the building, as well as construction safety issues for the deconstruction. The required State Environmental Quality Review is being conducted in tandem with development of decontamination and deconstruction plans, as required by the EPA.
- Winter 2005-06
Decontamination and deconstruction plans were submitted in January 2006 to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval. No decontamination will begin until the plan has been approved Once the plan is final, EPA will post it on its website, and this site will publish the plans and other related documents. The project team will continue to meet with Community Board 1 to discuss the plans.
- January 2006 Update
On January 4, 2006, CUNY, DASNY, the architects, and the environmental consultants met with Community Board 1 at a public hearing to provide an update on activities:
- During the summer and fall, 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).
- DASNY advertised in the Contract Reporter for a general contractor for Phase 1, with a December 29, 2005 deadline for Expressions of Interest and Statements of Qualifications. Responses were screened to pre-select firms qualified to perform the work. Bids from the pre-qualified contractors are due on May 9. The contractor selected in the bidding process will be responsible for interior and exterior environmental cleaning, including building contents, erecting the scaffold, and deconstruction. All work will be conducted under special monitoring requirements applicable to the USEPA WTC Recovery Zone and will occur within the jurisdiction of the USEPA WTC Recovery Program. The entire structure will be sealed and scaffolded.
- Architects and sub-consultants continued to work on design documents for Phase 2 under the assumption that the new building will be approximately the same size as the old building. To start construction as soon as possible, DASNY has advertised in the Contract Reporter for a construction manager (CM) for the new building; Expressions of Interest were received on January 12 and are under review.
The CM will hold all construction trade contracts for the project in either a CM-at-Risk or CM-Build capacity. 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. Firms must demonstrate completion of similarly complex projects in the New York City region.
- April 2006 Update
Contractor bids for remediation and demolition were opened on May 9th, and a contract award is expected to be made by early June.
- EPA's comments on the preliminary plans were received on April 14. DASNY, CUNY and their consultants are reviewing the comments and will revise the plan. The selected general contractor will add to this revised plan, which will be submitted to EPA this summer.
- Depending on the EPA approval process, decontamination work is anticipated to commence in the early fall of 2006.
- Decontamination is expected to take four to six months after EPA approves the plan and the general contractor is prepared to start
- Deconstruction is expected to take four to six months.
- Construction of the new Fiterman Hall is expected to be completed in 2009.
- July 2006 Update
The Dormitory Authority will seek a new round of bids for the decontamination and deconstruction of Fiterman Hall from a pool of pre-qualified contractors.
After a thorough review of all four bids received in May, the Authority determined that none of the bids were fully responsive to all environmental specifications. In addition, after the bids were due, DASNY received additional guidance and information from regulatory agencies concerning the threshold of determining whether materials contain asbestos or other contaminants which, in turn affect the type and complexity of disposal.
An addendum of clarification of requirements and expectations will be prepared for the pre-qualified firms, which will be asked to respond with their new information by August 3rd. DASNY will hold a pre-submission meeting in mid-July to review the addendum with the contractors.
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