New heights for New York

“New York is a city that eats its history,” said the writer and historian Gerard Koeppel, commenting on the city’s penchant for destroying the structures of today to make way for the buildings of tomorrow.

Over the decades, this approach has turned New York City into one of the world’s leading metropolises – and one of the most challenging places to build in (or under, over, around or on). Even a seemingly simple project is just a shovel’s dig away from revealing a long-forgotten sewer, subway tunnel, pneumatic tube or electrical conduit that could derail project plans, deadlines and budgets.

Thomas Foley, the Commissioner of New York City’s Department of Design and Construction, is changing that. While Foley can’t change New York City’s past, he’s leading an ambitious effort to make building easier in the United States’ largest city, cutting red tape and changing how his team of 1,200 planners, engineers, architects and designers work on construction projects.

He’s also spearheading numerous efforts to make New York City a great place to live and work through mega-resilience projects to protect the city against natural disasters and dozens of new libraries, schools, homeless shelters and other facilities.

“I’ve always been attracted to public service and giving back,” Foley says. “Our team is really changing the landscape and the fabric of New York City.”

Learning from challenges

Foley has devoted his entire career to New York City. After graduating from university with a civil engineering degree, he worked as an intern in the city’s design and construction department. After his internship, you could say, “The rest is history.”

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Foley served as a project manager for two years at the site. Following the flooding and destruction of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, he was heavily involved in the multiyear reconstruction effort and continues to lead the city’s resilience efforts to mitigate damage from the next natural disaster. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led efforts to build hospital facilities, clinics and testing sites across the city.

In 2022, Mayor Eric Adams appointed Foley Commissioner of New York City’s Department of Design & Construction after serving as the acting commissioner for three months. The mayor’s press release lauded Foley as a leader who “understands the infrastructure needs of our city on a granular level, and he has been a steady hand in moments of crisis.”

Foley brings a learning mindset to the department’s work, finding ways to prevent the next crisis and apply learnings from prior work to make the city’s large capital projects more efficient.

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“Working with Commissioner Foley and the DDC has been a true partnership. Their openness to industry feedback and commitment to streamlining processes has made a tangible difference. By fostering collaboration through a design-build approach and actively listening to industry feedback, Commissioner Foley has created an environment where innovative ideas can thrive – ultimately leading to better outcomes for the city.” – Transformative Reform Group

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The East Side Coastal Resiliency Project is a good example. The project aims to minimize flood risk due to coastal storms and sea level rise on Manhattan Island’s east side. Foley notes that the project, combined with other resiliency efforts launched in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, equates to more than US$2 billion of work and will protect more than 150,000 city residents.

Foley says the team has also learned from the post-pandemic shocks to the supply chain. For example, his team has modified city development contracts to allow greater flexibility in materials and design alternatives, saving more than US$15 million in the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project.

Foley also spearheaded ‘lessons learned tours’ where his staff can visit worksites around the city, hear how colleagues addressed project challenges and learn from successes. These visits are also moments to recognize accomplishments.

“Not all of our projects make the newspapers; not all of them are going to get visits from the mayor,” Foley says. “So, we call them internal ribbon cuttings, and we go out and thank the team for their amazing work.”

Speed and collaboration

Foley has worked to improve the speed and efficiency of the department’s projects and has advocated for permanently adopting some of the streamlining mechanisms implemented by emergency declarations after events like Hurricane Sandy.

“Why do we have to go back to business as usual?” he says. “We still have the same oversights. Each payment is verified by our engineering audit office and the controller’s office, and yet we can work that much more efficiently.”

Foley notes that his team works with scores of partners, including architects, developers and specialist firms, such as Sciame Construction and Leon D. Dematteis Construction Corporation.

He says the city is working with more companies than ever before and notes efforts to streamline the process for companies that want to work with the city. These efforts include improving contracting processes and a willingness to incorporate external feedback and suggestions into building decisions.

“Without the true partnerships within the industry, we would not be successful,” Foley says. “We wouldn’t be where we are now.”

Blueprints and permission slips

For a team that spends its days poring over blueprints and other plans, it’s no surprise that Foley’s Department of Design & Construction has a plan for itself. Every year, Foley says the team develops a strategic blueprint that outlines the group’s goals for the year.

“It makes sure we stay focused on the things that will allow us to build better, faster and cheaper for the city,” he says.

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“The DeMatteis Organization has had the pleasure of working for the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) for many years. DDC’s goal of improving project delivery aligns with The DeMatteis Organization’s approach to delivering successful projects most efficiently. Working together collaboratively and using industry best practices has both DDC and The DeMatteis Organization excited about the future of building for the City of New York.” – Scott L DeMatteis, President and COO, The DeMatteis Organization

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At the same time, Foley has fostered a culture where individuals have the authority and autonomy to make decisions, ensuring the department’s projects stay on track and on budget. His team memorialized this approach as a ‘permission slip’, like you might find in a school, that appears on computer screens and other areas.

“It’s four items,” Foley explains. “You don’t have to ask permission all the time if what you’re doing makes sense and it’s good for the city, if it’s ethical and legal and it’s something you’re willing to be held accountable for, then you should just do it.

“We have 330 active construction sites. As you dig up New York and peel away the layers of history and layers of utility and other interferences, decisions must be made quickly. And that’s the expectation from the industry.

“These are professional engineers and registered architects out in the field who can modify building components, designs, facades, whatever it is without consulting the hierarchy.”

Foley states that his staff speaks over 150 different languages, reflecting the diversity of New York City. He emphasizes that his colleagues take tremendous pride in their contributions and efficiently make things happen despite the city’s complexity.

“The team is very dedicated to ensuring the work is complete and stunning. If we’re sitting at a design table for five years, that’s not helping anybody. It’s the toughest job that you’ll ever love,” he says.