The project constructed three “COVID-19 Centers of Excellence” that are established in privately-owned buildings under a lease with NYC Health + Hospitals. These facilities provide outpatient medical services to newly infected patients and long-term care to those who have recovered from COVID-19 but are experiencing lasting adverse health effects from the virus. Locations are in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn (52,000SF), the Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens (29,000 SF), and the Tremont neighborhood of The Bronx (21,236 SF).

NERIS performed construction permit expediting services including: General Construction, Structural, Plumbing, Sprinkler, Medical Gas, Emergency Generator, Fuel Oil Storage and Mechanical Department of Buildings (DOB) Work Permits, 24/7 After Hour Variance Permits, and Department of Transportation (DOT) lane closure and sidewalk permits. NERIS greatly accelerated the normally lengthy approval process that DOB, DOT, Metropolitan Transit Authority and sub-agencies requires through proactive, persistent, and knowledgeable interactions with agency senior staff for coordination of the required work.

NERIS utilized their experience and relationship with agency hierarchies to prevent this approval process from delaying the project schedule and to fulfill the often immediate and direct communication demands this high priority project required. Specific project challenges NERIS overcame include working through NYC’s “Pause” when only Essential Construction Projects were permitted to proceed and DOB’s wholesale shift to a completely on-line, virtual permitting process (eFiling, HUB, and DOB NOW). NERIS has direct lines of communication to DOB support staff which enabled us to work through any issue that arose while increasing our profile and reputation within the DOB. The considerable construction experience that NERIS has enabled us to perform efficient and thorough reviews of the Architect and Engineer’s drawings and plans from the perspective of the reviewing agencies such as DOB, DOT, and the Fire Department of New York. This greatly reduced the iterations of unnecessary permit drawing/document revisions and improved the quality of agency permit set submissions, saving the client’s budget and schedule.