Governors Island agency looks for planners

Governors Island officials are seeking consultants to assist in the planning and redevelopment of the island.

Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation, the state-city authority responsible for 150 acres of island, plans to issue two Request for Proposals on Jan. 2 for the consultants. The corporation is seeking an advisory team to assist with development, cost estimating, and pre-construction advisory. It is also seeking consulting teams with urban design, landscape architecture and engineering expertise. The deadline is Jan. 23.

“Next year, 2006, will be a very busy year for GIPEC,” said GIPEC interim president Paul Kelly in an e-mail statement to Downtown Express. “These RFPs are intended to provide qualified consulting teams to support GIPEC.”

The island, a 172-acre teardrop slip of land in New York Harbor, was once home to the U.S. Army and later the U.S. Coast Guard. Sold to the state and city for $1 in 2003, the island contains many historic buildings, but most of it is open space. In recent years, the infrastructure and buildings have fallen into disrepair. GIPEC estimates it will cost between $217 million and $368 million to develop it. GIPEC plans to issue an RFP for the redevelopment of the island in February. The consultants would help the corporation make selection decisions.

-Ronda Kaysen