An $84 million project has been launched to protect coastal areas of Staten Island from flooding. It includes raised streets, new sidewalks, and sewer upgrades in the New Dorp Beach neighborhood to enhance stormwater drainage. Hitendra Patel, with 29 years of experience at the Department of Design and Construction, is the director for Staten Island projects and has contributed significantly to the area's infrastructure. He emphasizes the importance of a hands-on approach and personal connection with homeowners to build trust and support throughout the project.
When you start a project, it's always very difficult, because some people can't picture how it's going to look. But when you start a restoration, they see one block and they can picture 'my block is going to look like this.' Then you have less issues with homeowners.
Sometimes I personally go to the homeowner even now, to convince them that's exactly how it's going to look, and this is how much time it's going to take. I take pride in my projects, as if it's my block.
Collection
[
|
...
]