Queens Plaza Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Project

Queens Plaza Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Project

Queens, NY

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  • Services Provided
  • Constructability Reviews
    Resident Engineering
  • Project Cost
  • $36 Million
  • Project Duration
  • 2009 - 2012
  • Project Landscape Architect
  • Wallace Roberts Todd
  • Resident Engineer
  • LiRo
  • Client
  • New York City Economic Development Corporation

SiteWorks served as the Resident Landscape Architect for Queens Plaza, one of the city’s busiest transit hubs. The central challenge of this site was converting a major vehicular thoroughfare into an inviting pedestrian/bicycle friendly oasis. The innovative design included a wetland that collected rainwater from the surrounding design and filtered it prior to entering the storm sewer system. Custom pavers and furnishings, central to the landscape design, were designed in collaboration with artists Michael Singer and Leni Schwendinger. Hundreds of trees and thousands of perennials were planted to create a rich, layered vegetative corridor that mitigates noise and connects the plaza with the East River.

The City had an aggressive completion schedule for the project. To meet the City’s goals, SiteWorks coordinated with the design team and contractors to address changes and challenges efficiently. As the project progressed, several scope changes were incorporated in a timely manner. As requested by the client, SiteWorks developed the best solutions for project related issues and played an integral part in developing an efficient schedule.

SiteWorks worked directly with NYC Department of Parks & Recreation Forestry staff to obtain permits and coordinate tree preservation and removals. In addition to coordinating the multi-year schedule to ensure the success of this complex transformation, SiteWorks’ role also included inter-agency coordination with NYC DDC, NYC DOT and utility companies, field inspection, plant sourcing, coordination of soils testing, hardscape implementation, and review of pay-requests.