Armand Corporation celebrated the official groundbreaking for a new public restroom building at Kissena Park in Flushing, Queens, the latest site to advance under a citywide design-build bundle initiative to bring modern, accessible restroom facilities to some of New York City’s busiest parks.
The project is being delivered under a design-build contract with the New York City Department of Design and Construction (NYC DDC) and sponsored by NYC Parks. Kissena Park joins facilities already under construction at East River Park, Murphy Brothers Playground, Van Cortlandt Park and Brookville Park.
On October 28th, Barbara A. Armand, president and CEO of Armand Corporation, was joined by NYC DDC Commissioner Paul A. Ochoa, Queens Borough Commissioner Jacqueline Langsam, Congressmember Grace Meng, New York State Senator John C. Liu, New York State Assemblymember Nily D. Rozic, Councilmember Sandra Ung, Queens Community Board 7 District Manager Marilyn McAndrews and Leona Chin, Program Manager of Kissena Synergy, for a ceremonial groundbreaking at Kissena Park. Spanning more than 230 acres and home to Kissena Lake, the Kissena Velodrome, and miles of trails and athletic fields, the new facility, located adjacent to softball field number 5, Four Winds Playground and the Velodrome, will serve the thousands of residents and visitors.
The Kissena Park building is one of five public restroom facilities included in the design-build contract, alongside Murphy Brothers Playground, East River Park, Van Cortlandt Park and Brookville Park. The design-build team has tailored each building to the character and needs of its park while holding every site to the same standards of accessibility, durability and sustainability. At Kissena Park, the facility will incorporate energy-efficient systems, such as a solar array placed on the roof. The facility will also feature a new ADA-accessible pathway lit by decorative light poles from Booth Memorial Avenue. These highly durable, low-maintenance materials are intended to keep the building and site improvements resilient while offering visitors a cleaner, safer and more comfortable park experience.
“When you gotta go, you gotta go. We all know the feeling of urgently needing a restroom without one in sight—and I am proud to say that DDC has been making progress in constructing five new public restroom facilities across the City,” said NYC Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Paul A. Ochoa. “Our most recent groundbreaking took place at Kissena Park, a 235-acre greenspace in Queens where this facility has been long overdue. This site is part of a design-build bundle that includes East River Park, Murphy Brothers Playground, Van Cortlandt Park and Brookville Park. Working alongside our partners at NYC Parks, Armand Corporation and Infotran Engineers & Architects, P.C., we are committed to delivering durable, ADA-accessible public restrooms faster to New Yorkers.”
Infotran Engineers & Architects, P.C., serves as Armand Corporation’s design partner on the project. Together with NYC DDC, NYC Parks and local stakeholders, the team has engaged the community throughout planning and design so that the Kissena Park facility reflects the priorities of the neighborhoods that surround it. The design-build approach allows design and construction to progress in parallel, shortening the overall schedule.
As the first minority- and woman-owned firm to be awarded a design-build contract by NYC DDC, Armand Corporation is helping demonstrate how the agency’s commitment to expanding opportunities for Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises translates into tangible public infrastructure in communities across the city.
“We are grateful to the NYC Department of Design and Construction for the opportunity to help deliver this important project,” said Barbara A. Armand, founder, president and CEO of Armand Corporation. “This fourth building reflects the strength of our team and our long-standing commitment to community-focused infrastructure. We are proud to support the delivery of essential public facilities that will serve New Yorkers across multiple boroughs.”
With Kissena Park now underway, work is progressing at all five sites, and substantial completion of the earlier commenced sites is anticipated by the end of 2026.
