Gov. Cuomo approved legislation Tuesday granting the city the power to streamline capital projects and cut costs through a contracting method known as “design-build.”
The much-heralded technique allows city agencies to issue a single request for proposal and contract for the engineering and construction of capital projects. The bill also forces private contractors to cover any extra costs that come with unexpected changes or delays to a project.
Mayor de Blasio and City Council members have fought for the expansion of the expedited process, which lets them cut through red tape and save money, for years.
“Design Build means less red tape and more new-and-improved libraries, roads, and bridges. Now we’ll be able to save time and money on critical projects that truly matter to New Yorkers,” the mayor said as he thanked the governor and legislators for passing the bill.
Cuomo himself is a major proponent of the power.
In his approval message, the governor touted his use of design-build to fast track state projects including the expansion of the Javits Center and replacing the Tappan Zee Bridge.
The process “increases efficiency by enabling the project’s owner, designer and builder to closely collaborate from conception to completion and provides crucial time-savings,” Cuomo wrote.
The bill gives union projects a leg up by allowing the city to use design-build authority for any large project with a collective-bargaining deal in place.
Design-build can also be applied to most undertakings of the Department of Design and Construction, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Transportation, Health and Hospitals Corporation, School Construction Authority that costs more than $10 million. The legislation sets the threshold for the Parks Department or the Housing Authority at $1.2 million.
City lawmakers, including sponsors Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Queens) and Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-Queens), have said the method could slash costs and speed up much-needed repair projects such as the reconstruction of four crumbling bridges on the Belt Parkway in South Brooklyn.
A source close to the negotiations surrounding the measure told the Daily News that an agreement was reached between Cuomo and the legislature to grant similar authority to state agencies in the near future.
In his approval, the governor made clear he wants to expand the use of the technique.
“Design-build is important for capital projects across the state, not just New York City, and should be addressed on a statewide basis,” he wrote.
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