Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 12, 2017
CONTACT: media@nycha.nyc.gov

NYCHA RECOGNIZED FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE BY THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF ENGINEERING COMPANIES OF NEW YORK

NYCHA and HAKS Engineers, Architects and Land Surveyors, P.C., the designer, received a Platinum Award in the Special Projects category for site lighting upgrades at 9 NYCHA sites, home to nearly 26,000 residents.

NEW YORK––The American Council of Engineering Companies of New York’s (ACEC New York) presented the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and HAKS Engineers, Architects and Land Surveyors, P.C. with a Platinum Award for engineering excellence for site lighting upgrades at 9 NYCHA sites: Tompkins Houses, Brownsville Houses, Ingersoll Houses, Van Dyke Houses I & II, Stapleton Houses, Castle Hill Houses, Bushwick Houses, and Boulevard Houses. These lighting upgrades benefit nearly 26,000 residents. The award was presented during the 50th annual Engineering Excellence Awards Gala on April 1, 2017.

Deborah Goddard, NYCHA Executive Vice President of Capital Projects, said, “These projects embrace the goals of the Authority’s NextGeneration NYCHA 10-year strategic plan and the vision of creating safe, clean and connected communities. Using the latest technology in lighting and engineering, these upgrades have not only brightened our developments improving the safety of residents, but have lowered energy consumption and maintenance costs.”

Francisco A. Ruela, Senior Vice President of Facilities Design for HAKS, said, “The success of this project is due to a team approach where NYCHA and HAKS worked together to provide the best solutions to each site and we were able to evaluate and decided on the best and efficient technology to be utilized. The outcome is a project that improves the safety and quality of living to NYCHA residents.”

NYCHA worked with HAKS to incorporate new lighting design standards developed by the Authority to increase energy efficiency, reduce maintenance and light pollution, as well as encourage street life and help connect the grounds with the surrounding community.

The Authority replaced the developments’ outdated exterior lighting system with brighter, state-of-the-art, energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) lights located at entrances, walkways, play areas, sports courts, and parking areas. The new light fixtures, which include pedestrian post lights, cobra heads, flood lights, canopy lights, and wall packs, are dark-sky friendly, which eliminates glare and reduces sky glow and light pollution, and feature motion sensors, integrated photovoltaic cells, photosensors, and an astronomic time clock control.

The installation of new exterior lighting fixtures at these 9 developments is a key part of the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety (MAP), a comprehensive strategy to reduce violence and increase neighborhood safety at the 15 NYCHA development sites that accounted for 20 percent of all violent crime in public housing in 2014. Convened in July 2014 and operated by MOCJ, MAP enhances coordination between the New York City Police Department, NYCHA, City service agencies and public housing residents. This collaboration is addressing the physical, economic, and social conditions with the goal of creating safe and strong neighborhoods for the people who live in them.

About the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)

NYCHA’s mission is to increase opportunities for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers by providing safe, affordable housing and facilitating access to social and community services. More than 400,000 New Yorkers reside in NYCHA’s 328 public housing developments around the five boroughs, and another 235,000 receive subsidized rental assistance in private homes through the NYCHA-administered Section 8 Leased Housing Program. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/nycha and for regular updates on NYCHA news and services, connect with us via www.facebook.com/NYCHA and www.twitter.com/NYCHA.