City to hire dozens more contractors for Sandy rebuilding

Effort could quadruple pace of construction funded through troubled program

Mayor Bill de Blasio at a press conference on Superstorm Sandy recovery
Mayor Bill de Blasio at a press conference on Superstorm Sandy recovery

New York City officials believe they can quadruple the pace of repairing and renovating homes damaged by Superstorm Sandy by hiring additional contractors.

The city intends to hire dozens of contractors who would be paid with federal funds to rebuild storm-ravaged properties through the Build It Back program, the Wall Street Journal reported. The city will seek proposals for services that include elevating houses above water levels to prevent damage from storm surge, according to the newspaper.

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City officials currently distribute Build It Back funds to about 150 contractors, the Journal reported. A New York Times investigation recently criticized the program, charging that poor design and execution under the Bloomberg administration led to delays in construction.

In April, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced new goals of reimbursing 500 homeowners for repairs already completed and getting work started on as many houses by Labor Day. Earlier this month, the administration said it had exceeded those goals. [WSJ] –Tom DiChristopher