Brooklyn House of Detention Contract Rejected by Comptroller Thompson

Blaming "ballooning costs and lack of documentation," New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr., announced late Thursday the rejection of a contract submitted by the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) for construction-related services at the Brooklyn House of Detention.

In a letter, the Comptroller’s Office cites problems that include the failure to adequately explain an almost 100 percent increase from the original estimate in construction costs for the project and incomplete documentation provided to his office.

The initial total projected cost was $222,000,000. But, according to the Comptroller's office, "due to DOC’s failure to consider site constraints, subsurface conditions, pile foundations and other complexity factors," the cost was upped to $420,000,000.

This doesn't mean that the plan to rebuilt a bigger and better House of Detention is killed forever. Thompson, who is running for mayor and who is also a plaintiff in the court case against the re-opening of the Brooklyn House of Detention, has advised DDC, in the event they would like to resubmit this contract for review, to provide his office with "all necessary documentation."

More at www.comptroller.nyc.gov

UPDATE: In related news, a verdict is expected to be released within a week for the lawsuit filed to halt the renovation of the jail. According to the Brooklyn Eagle, Justice Sylvia Hinds-Radix said that she will release her decision by Feb. 11.

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Photo by MK Metz

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