NYCHA starts $88 million recovery project at Astoria Houses



NYCHA's Michele Moore explains the scope of the $88 million project at Astoria Houses. slideshow

A first-floor apartment that needs complete renovation within the development. slideshow

Astoria Houses residents with NYCHA staff and Councilman Costa Constantinides slideshow

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has begun work to rebuild and improve developments at Astoria Houses that were badly damaged by Superstorm Sandy.Thanks to an historic $3 billion grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Astoria Houses is undergoing an $88 million project to replace roofs, install backup generators, and add new flood-protected electrical systems.New security cameras and lighting are also part of the project.“We took a long time to finalize negotiations with FEMA, but in the end, we fought for every dollar that we could and were able to secure the largest grant in FEMA history,” said Michele Moore, NYCHA’s acting director in the Capital Projects Division. “At the same time, we’re taking some of the burden off NYCHA by doing crucial repairs that we would not have had the funding for otherwise.”The $3 billion grant is going toward repairing 33 public housing developments through Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. The Astoria Houses is the third complex to begin construction, behind a $67 million project in the Rockaways and a $41 million project in Coney Island.According to Moore, eight buildings in Astoria Houses near the East River were severely impacted by Superstorm Sandy. Between 18 and 22 inches of flood water crept into the ground floors of the buildings.Many residents suffered a loss of electricity that also knocked out elevators.Two playgrounds close to the water were also damaged by Sandy and will be repaired. Moore said the agency is starting the design process for the playgrounds now, and will meet with the community for input.“We will work with residents to see what kind of play equipment they want to see,” she said.Moore said NYCHA hired Long Island City-based Navillus Contracting to repair the units in Astoria Houses.They’re working on kitchen and bathroom repairs, repainting walls and other renovations. It takes between five and six weeks to repair one apartment.According to NYCHA, more than 120 public housing residents have been employed by the contractors, including 51 NYCHA residents from Queens. At Astoria Houses, the contractor Navillus has committed to hiring 10 employees from the local neighborhood.“We have local NYCHA residents working on Sandy recovery projects,” Moore said. “I think that’s crucial because these are the residents that had to live through Sandy and now they can better themselves through the recovery.”The timeline for the improvements is anywhere from two to two-and-a-half years, Moore said, depending on the weather.“We’re going to stick to our timeline, but we have to make sure the work is done properly with a focus on safety,” she said.Councilman Costa Constantinides toured the damaged apartments with NYCHA residents and staff last week.“This will all go a long way to making sure that, if God forbid something like this happens again, the residents will be better protected,” he said. “This $88 million is going to go a long way to bring these buildings to resiliency standards in the 21st century.”Marion Pearson, an Astoria Houses resident since 1987, said she was sitting in her apartment the day that Superstorm Sandy struck. She said it was both scary and exciting.Pearson lives on the second floor of a building right on the waterfront. She looked out her kitchen window and saw all of the rain and water heading toward her.“I came out of my building to look and see how bad it was, and the water was to here in the lobby area,” she said, pointing to her knees. “I came outside in front of my building. The pressure of the water pushed me back a little bit, so I said, ‘it’s time to go back inside.’“I spent the rest of the day watching everyone else out the windows, watching the cars go under the water,” she added. “I stayed safe in my apartment.”Pearson said she was one of the lucky residents who didn’t lose power, electricity or gas. But many of her neighbors did.The longtime resident said the National Guard eventually came and provided water, food and toiletries, but many residents were fed up with how long it took restore power. They had to rely on the help of friends, family and other community members.“They were feeling neglected and a little upset and angry,” Pearson said.Pearson is now working with NYCHA to ensure that the community’s voice is heard in the improvement project. She said she’s grateful to live in a safe and tight-knit community.“For me, living in this community, even though it’s public housing, it’s a blessing,” she said. “If you look at the size of the apartments, the open space, the kids that come out, you feel safe.”