NYCHA Announces RFP For First Comprehensive Deep Energy Retrofit Project

Published on January 22, 2020, 4:25 pm
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Today, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) announced the release of a Request-for-Proposal (RFP #99825) to select a design team for retrofitting one building to achieve near net-zero energy performance. The demonstration project is being offered to realize a vision for moving NYCHA’s housing portfolio of more than 2,500 buildings towards greater energy efficiency and sustainability standards. The successful bidder will create the first deeply sustainable retrofit design for the Authority since the New York City Council passed a historic law aimed at reducing overall building carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050.

In addition to reducing energy consumption and costs, near net-zero energy homes are designed to improve the quality of life for residents in areas that include air quality, noise reduction, and building durability. NYCHA is developing the project under the auspices of RetrofitNY, a program of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) based on the successful European program, Energiesprong. Energiesprong has retrofitted 4,500 units of affordable housing to near-net zero energy in several European countries – with 18,000 more in the pipeline.

Funding for the Authority’s iteration of this deeply sustainable retrofit will be made available through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Capital Fund. The selected bidder would have the choice of deeply retrofitting a single building at one of several sites: Parkside Houses in the Bronx; South Beach in Staten Island; Ravenswood in Queens; and Woodside developments in Queens.

“NYCHA residents depend on us for safe, healthy homes for generations to come,” said Greg Russ, NYCHA Chairman and CEO. “Projects like these help NYCHA improve living conditions for NYCHA residents, ensure that our buildings are prepared for the inevitable challenges that climate change will bring, and meet New York City’s energy and resiliency goals.”

“The Retrofit NY RFP is one of many ways New York City is bringing the benefits of deep energy retrofits and sustainable design to our residents,” added Mark Chambers, Director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. “These innovations will help foster greater indoor comfort, cleaner outside air, and a safer, more resilient city.”

The project is expected to begin construction by the end of this year and expected to be completed by the end of 2022. To be eligible for participation in NYCHA’s RFP, design teams must first seek qualification for RetrofitNY by responding to NYSERDA Request for Qualifications (RFQL) 4234 – expected for release in January. Once a design team is selected, the retrofit solution design should meet the following expectations:

  • Design should meet the 2050 greenhouse gas target of
  • New York City Local Law 97 of the Climate Mobilization Act
  • Design should approach or achieve net-zero energy performance
  • Design should exclude the use of fossil fuels onsite
  • Design should be standardized, scalable, and significantly compress costs at scale
  • Design should improve resident comfort and quality of life
  • Design should improve the aesthetic of the building
  • Design should be installed with minimal resident disturbance or displacement
  • Design should minimize the onsite construction period
  • Design should deploy an offsite manufactured panelized envelope treatment

As part of the NYCHA Sustainability Agenda, released on Earth Day 2016, NYCHA is transforming its aging buildings and infrastructure into sustainable, healthy communities as part of a roadmap for the next 10 years and an invitation to residents, housing and environmental advocates, community-based organizations, sister agencies, and educational institutions to work together to create a sustainable and resilient city. The Sustainability Agenda was created with the goal of ensuring that resident quality of life is a top priority; rigorous evidence-based practices are a key part of the design model; partnership is at the core of the project and that goals, metrics, and building methods are clearly and transparently communicated to the public.

Integrated design teams seeking to provide design, engineering, and construction management services as specified in the RFP are encouraged to attend an optional proposers’ conference on January 29, 2020. The proposal submission deadline is 02:00 p.m. on April 24, 2020. The RFP is available only online, for free, through NYCHA’s Oracle iSupplier system. Instructions for registering for iSupplier can be found at here.

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 1935 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 528,105 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.

For more information, please visit nyc.gov/nycha, and for regular updates on NYCHA news and services, connect with us via Facebook and Twitter.

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