New York City Department of Design and Construction

Today, Commissioner Ochoa joined New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, NYC Water, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, the Queens United Sports Club, the Idlewild Environmental Center, and more to cut the ribbon on the upgraded cricket field at Idlewild Park.

Just in time for summer, this park now has upgraded benches, bleachers, tables and chairs, soil and grass. Work included the installation of water mains along Springfield Lane as well as new sewer mains.

These upgrades are part of a much more extensive, ongoing $78.5 million project that is not only beautifying the area, but it is also making Idlewild more resistant to heavy rainstorms (including installation of a triple barrel storm sewer) and protecting the wetlands.

As part of this project in Idlewild, we also restored over five acres of wetland at two sites: Idlewild Park and Brookville Park. Approximately 70,000 tons of non-hazardous contaminated soil containing a large amount of debris, including tires, were cleared out from those areas.

This project is a cornerstone of the $2.7 billion Southeast Queens Initiative, which includes more than 40 infrastructure projects that are rebuilding streets and improving drainage throughout Southeast Queens, and will connect local sewers to massive new downstream storm sewers, channeling stormwater from parts of Queens into the Bergen and Thurston basins near Kennedy Airport.

We thank our partners at Inter LaPeruta Joint Venture, AI Engineers, Inc. and Hazen and Sawyer/AKRF Joint Venture.

Register today for the Employment and Training Fair on June 4th. Discover and build your career path with the city, explore civil service job options, labor unions, and connect with your community.
⏰: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
📍: 440 Grand St
🔗: tiny.cc/escrwwusjune26

𝙽̶𝚎̶𝚠̶𝚙̶𝚛̶𝚘̶𝚏̶𝚒̶𝚕̶𝚎̶𝚙̶𝚒̶𝚌̶. We're built orange and blue.

DDC joins the rest of the nation to observe Memorial Day to honor and remember those who lost their lives serving in our armed forces. We thank them all for their sacrifice and service on this meaningful day.

As DDC manages the construction of New York City’s infrastructure and public building projects, stewardship of its own office spaces—including 40 Worth Street in Manhattan, a satellite location in Staten Island, and its headquarters at 30-30 Thomson Avenue in Long Island City, Queens—is foundational to its work.

Irvin Jones, a key member of the facilities team in DDC Operations, supports the operation of the complex physical systems that keep the agency workspaces running smoothly and safely. Irvin’s primary responsibility, DDC’s space at 30-30 Thomson Avenue, is the central physical base for the agency’s staff of over 1,200. The six-story concrete building, marked by its full atrium and past as the Chiclets chewing gum factory, is a historical part of the city’s built environment and a critical space for the people who build it.

Irvin joined DDC in January 2022 following a two-year tenure at the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. Today, he ensures that the agency’s environments are optimized for DDC’s workforce, from assisting with large-scale issues like roof maintenance and temperature control to facilitating electrical, plumbing, and mechanical repairs.

Reviewing every floor every day, Irvin possesses an intimate knowledge of the agency's headquarters. “I feel like I’ve walked every part of the building,” he says. Navigating a wide-ranging role, the position requires a constant ability to pivot and take on new challenges. Being equipped with a natural adaptability and a deep familiarity with the environment has enabled him to identify and resolve issues before they escalate. Irvin’s work is driven by the principle of "safety first," maintaining an approach based on the same philosophical standards that DDC upholds across its work for the city.

“The environment here is unmatchable,” Irvin says, describing his experience at the agency and its collaborative atmosphere. In a workplace that draws strength from a diversity of backgrounds, cultures, and professional roles, Irvin ensures that daily operations remain seamless for all staff members. By addressing the intricacies of the agency’s spaces with responsiveness, care, and technical expertise, Irvin contributes to providing the operational framework essential to DDC’s delivery of capital projects for New York City.

News 12 Brooklyn highlights the critical work of Assistant Commissioner Nathalie Pierre-Georges, who is leading the charge on flood mitigation projects across the city. In Kensington, she is overseeing the installation of porous pavement, which allows stormwater to be naturally absorbed into the ground, rather than pooling on the street or flowing into the sewer system.

She is also a trailblazer, as she is the first woman to serve as Assistant Commissioner overseeing borough-wide infrastructure projects in the agency's 29-year history. “I don't feel as if it's a role that a woman cannot do. I'm an engineer. I'm as qualified as anybody else. The sky's the limit,” Pierre-Georges said.

Kensington streets get flood-fighting makeover led by trailblazing NYC engineer One of the city’s latest tools may look simple - gray, hole-filled slabs known as porous panels, but they’re built to absorb stormwater before it overwhelms drains and sewer systems.