City Development committee approves DOT supplemental reimbursement and waives apprenticeship requirement for Central Park tennis‑court reconstruction

The City Development & Planning committee on July 21 approved two items intended to keep capital projects on schedule: a supplemental agreement with the New York State Department of Transportation to restore missing reimbursement for a completed road project, and a waiver of the local apprenticeship requirement for the planned reconstruction of Central Park tennis courts.

DOT supplemental agreement: City staff reported the state had identified an accounting error when closing out the Broadway Mill & Fill project (Fourth Street to Weaver Street, PIN 1760.42) and requested a supplemental agreement to add the omitted funding back into the reimbursement schedule. Staff said the supplemental restores $100,000 plus $18,000 in ancillary funding that had been removed in error on a prior supplemental, and that the paperwork had already been submitted to close out the project. Committee members approved the supplemental agreement; staff said the action will allow the city to receive the reimbursement it expected when the project closed.

Central Park tennis courts: The committee considered a request to waive the city’s apprenticeship requirement for a specialty contract to reconstruct existing asphalt tennis courts as post‑tensioned concrete courts. Staff described the work as specialized post‑tension concrete construction intended to reduce heaving and extend service life; the project would convert 17 existing asphalt courts into 18 post‑tensioned concrete courts to meet United States Tennis Association (USTA) tournament standards. Staff said several interested contractors are based outside New York State and lack a local apprenticeship program; the waiver request cited prior precedent (a golf irrigation contract waiver) and noted the urgency of completing major concrete pours this year so the courts can cure over winter and be ready for play on June 1 next year. Committee members discussed timelines and warranty/longevity benefits of post‑tensioned concrete (staff cited a 30–50 year service life, with periodic coating maintenance). The committee voted to grant the apprenticeship waiver so procurement can proceed on the expedited schedule.

Why it matters: Restoring DOT reimbursement corrects the city’s project accounting and returns expected revenue. Granting a waiver for the tennis courts allows the city to seek specialized contractors outside the state to meet technical specifications and the USTA’s timeline for a full season of play.

Next steps: Staff will execute the DOT supplemental agreement to obtain reimbursement and proceed to contract procurement for the tennis‑court rebuild under the waiver; a revised agreement and contract documents will be returned to committee as required.