(Albany, New York)- The New York State Office of Mental Health announced the opening of a new $42 million Central Services Building on the campus of South Beach Psychiatric Center in Staten Island, New York City. The Central Services Building replaces infrastructure destroyed by the nearly 15 foot storm surge which came ashore on Staten Island on October 29, 2012 during Superstorm Sandy.  

“Not only did we rebuild quicker than many thought possible, we built back better. With critical infrastructure now relocated 20 feet above sea level, this building is designed to resist the future floods faced by this neighborhood. Despite all that the South Beach community went through during Superstorm Sandy, the people of Staten Island came together to rebuild, and I am proud that the Office of Mental Health can stand shoulder to shoulder with them in their recovery,” said Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Marie T. Sullivan, M.D. 

Executive Order 55 enabled the New York State Office of General Services (OGS) to fast track this construction via an expedited “design-build” process.  Design-build provides the authority for OGS to quickly repair and restore severely damaged facilities without the conventional design-bid-build process, which typically takes between 36 and 48 months to complete. It is estimated that this design-build project saved New York State more than $2 million in project management costs and shortened the project duration by two years. 

Earlier this month, New York State announced the Build NY Program, which would authorize state agencies to use the design-build system for all construction projects and all acquisition projects. To date, New York has awarded ten design-build contracts across the State, saving taxpayers $1.575 billion and 258 months of time. 

“The people who receive and provide treatment services at South Beach benefited greatly when Governor Cuomo authorized OGS to use the streamlined design-build process in the wake of Superstorm Sandy,” OGS Commissioner RoAnn M. Destito said. “Private industry regularly uses design-build to save money and get projects done more quickly. By using design-build instead of the normal design-bid-build process, our client, OMH, has its building roughly two years ahead of schedule, and New York’s taxpayers were spared millions of dollars in potential project costs.” 

“The story of South Beach Psychiatric Center during Superstorm Sandy is a story of hope and recovery. Although we safely and securely evacuated our facility in advance of the storm, many of our neighbors fared far worse. South Beach became a temporary station for the National Guard as helicopters flew in with supplies and evacuated people in need of assistance. Yet despite the record flooding, the debris spread across our grounds, and the damage sustained to our buildings, we were able to move our patients back into the facility in less than three weeks. With the completion of this construction, we prove that we are truly stronger than ever,” said South Beach Psychiatric Center Executive Director Dr. Rosanne Gaylor, M.D. 

Construction of the Central Services Building began in February 2013 and reached significant completion in October 2014, with the Office of Mental Health bringing the building online in late October 2014. The project, managed by STV, Inc. of New York City, constructed an entirely new 46,608 square-foot Central Services Building, housing a centralized kitchen and food service area, heating and cooling infrastructure, emergency power equipment, and maintenance shops. 

Included in this $42 million project was the rehabilitation of Buildings 8 and 9 on the grounds of South Beach Psychiatric Center. Both buildings were severely damaged during Superstorm Sandy and required reengineering to accommodate the new building and various repairs to both the subfloors and the rooftops. These buildings will continue their usage as administrative offices, a rehabilitation center for outpatients, and the headquarters of the South Beach Psychiatric Center OMH Safety Staff.