New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr., announced today the rejection of an architectural contract submitted to his office by the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) for construction-related services at the Brooklyn House of Detention, citing ballooning costs and lack of documentation. Among the problems with the documentation 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.”
“A thorough review of this contract has resulted in a litany of problems, including extreme miscalculations of cost estimates and missing documentation from the agencies involved,” Thompson said. “A project of this magnitude must be taken seriously and our findings indicate that the city has lacked due diligence in this submission. Due to the ballooning cost estimates I am rejecting this contract for services at the Brooklyn House of Detention.”
“As our city is faced with this recession, causing unemployment to rise and families to struggle to put food on their tables, this type of financial mismanagement sends the wrong message to New Yorkers,” Thompson said.
To view the letter to DDC and Comptroller Thompson’s previous statements regarding the Brooklyn House of Detention, visit www.comptroller.nyc.gov.
