College Point, NY…
Eldor Electric, LLC (College Point, NY, www.eldor.com), one of the New York-Tri-State area’s largest electrical construction and renewable energy companies, played an important role as the electrical contractor in the historic renovation of the 28,000 square foot New York Police Department’s (NYPD) Central Park 22nd Precinct. The stationhouse is located in the original Central Park stable complex at 86th Street and Transverse Road in New York City. The stables were designed in 1871 by noted Architect Jacob Wrey Mould, who also was the chief architect for Central Park. URS Corporation (New York, NY), a leading provider of engineering, construction and technical services for public agencies and private sector companies worldwide, served as the Construction Manager at Risk for the $50 million renovation project. Fred Basch, AIA served as the project’s architect. Barbara Spandorf, AIA, LEED AP, Project Director, Police Unit, New York City Department of Design & Construction (DDC) led the DDC in providing oversight for the entire renovation which consisted of converting a single-story building with an attic into a two-story facility. Required was the replacement of all electrical, mechanical and plumbing infrastructures, and the retrofit and build-out of the structure’s interior.
The NYPD Central Park precinct has been in operation since 1936 and has both a national and New York City landmark status. This meant that the restoration project had to uphold the structural integrity and historic significance of the building, while also accommodating the NYPD’s needs for a more modern facility.
Eldor brought in a new electrical service to power all of the precinct’s lighting, electrical, telecommunications, teledata, information technology, and security systems, and rehabilitated all electrical components. Tight integration of the electrical and mechanical systems into the building’s structure was critical. The main challenge Eldor faced was in bringing the main electrical service all the way from Fifth Avenue down through the center of Central Park along 86th Street and into the precinct building which is located in the middle of the park along the Great Lawn. To perform the necessary work, 86th Street had to be shut down every night and opened again every morning. During the course of its work, Eldor also encountered an old New York City trolley track system and an old water main which introduced unique challenges to the project.
Heading up Eldor’s team for the NYPD Central Park Precinct project were: Project Manager Marc Raineri, Project Superintendent George Maresciallo and Foreman Nelson Ramos.
The Central Park Police Precinct project was hailed as a success in effectively meeting all of the NYPD’s requirements, while retaining and respecting the building’s historical significance. As a result, the Central Park Police Precinct was awarded The New York Landmark Conservancy’s prestigious “Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award.” It is the Conservancy’s highest honor for outstanding preservation efforts.
The renovated Central Park Police Precinct now features a modern facility housing spacious offices, locker rooms, muster room, an area for processing suspects and storage space. The building design encompasses a lightweight metal canopy which spans the courtyard and a clear story façade of bullet-resistant glass. The lobby was designed to create synergy between the building’s interior and the surrounding outdoor setting. The projected lifetime for the building is 80 years.
About Eldor Contracting Corporation
Founded by current President Nicolaus P. Feldmann over 35 years ago, Eldor is one of the New York-Tri State region’s largest electrical contractors. Operating from its sustainable corporate headquarters in Holtsville, NY and another facility in College Point, NY, the company offers end-to-end services. They including: electrical contracting, value engineering, procurement, construction and renewable energy solutions. Eldor is recognized for its proven track record and problem-solving capabilities on even the most complex, challenging projects. Eldor employs a highly qualified, credentialed team of professional engineers, superintendents, project managers, foremen, journeymen and apprentices – each fully-trained and committed to delivering projects on-time, on-budget and to specifications. Eldor has approximately 200 employees. The company’s executives are well-respected within the industry as reflected in their leadership roles within relevant industry associations such as the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). Eldor also holds key certifications such as those of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and North American Board Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) as well as active membership in organizations including the New York State Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA). For more information, visit: www.eldor.com