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Dennis Walcott compares library construction with SCA projects
1:09:12
ยท
62 sec
Dennis Walcott, former chancellor and current Queens Public Library CEO, provides an example of efficient construction by the School Construction Authority (SCA) to contrast with the challenges faced in library construction.
- Walcott describes a $235 million project in the South Bronx completed in three years
- The project included three schools and an athletic field built on a former rail yard
- This example demonstrates that efficient, timely construction is possible with the right approach
Dennis Walcott
1:09:12
Well, beyond that, there was a is anyone from The Bronx right now?
1:09:17
But we had a when I was chancellor, we took over a rail yard and built three schools, a athletic field, an athletic field in this rail yard in the South Bronx in three years.
1:09:31
In three years, it was a $235,000,000 project.
1:09:34
I will never forget this particular project.
1:09:36
And, it was done benefiting the residents of this particular community and beyond.
1:09:41
That was a three school complex and that would involve remediation of contaminated land that was there.
1:09:51
And, it was done and it was done extremely well.
1:09:54
And that can be done for our libraries by us individually if we had all the capital dollars that we needed privately, but also can be done through DDC with the appropriate reforms I think at a city level from a ONB, DDC and all the issues that are connected with the buildings taken so long.
Gale A. Brewer
1:10:11
And that was SCA, which usually does a great job.
Dennis Walcott
1:10:13
That was SCA.
Gale A. Brewer
1:10:14
Yes.