Liberty Park World Trade Center — Oliveira Contracting Inc.

Liberty Park is an elevated public park currently under construction in the new World Trade Center in New York City. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has chosen Oliveira Contracting Inc. as one of three general contractors to complete the project, which is being constructed on top of the existing Vehicular Security Center (VSC). Liberty Park is scheduled for completion in 2016.

Liberty Park is located 25 feet above Liberty Street and is planned to have a capacity of 750 people. A “living wall” will be located on the Liberty Street façade, which will serve as a vertical landscape approximately 300 feet long and more than 20 feet high, made of periwinkle, Japanese spurge, winter creeper, sedge and Baltic ivy. A walkway from the pedestrian bridge will curve along the park and contain a straight ramp down to Greenwich Street along with a wide staircase parallel to Greenwich Street and directly behind Nicholas Church, which is being reconstructed after being destroyed in the 9/11 attacks.

Coordinating responsibilities

With multiple general contractors on the project, numerous obstacles are presented, such as coordinating schedules and workforce. “It has been an interesting challenge to work with the two other contractors in the same location,” says Marco Desa, project manager for Oliveira Contracting. “We’re all focused on different scopes of the project as it progresses. Fortunately, we are all working together very well and deadlines are being met.”

Oliveira Contracting has been charged with providing one of the finish packages, which includes all of the façade work on the garage that will sit atop the existing VSC. The company is also building the park level concrete, drainage, lighting and railings. In addition to working on top of the park, Oliveira Contracting is installing a granite façade, which encompasses the VSC at street level. “We’re also building the streets surrounding the building,” says Desa. “That includes Cedar Street on the south side, Liberty Street to the north, Greenwich Street to the east and the sidewalks on West Street.”

Included in the scope of the street work is providing the road slab, asphalt and the installation of security bollards surrounding the entire building. Oliveira Contracting is also installing granite sidewalks, granite curbs and light posts.

As a general contractor, Oliveira Contracting maintains the ability to self-perform a majority of its own work. The streets, slabs, drainage and horizontal granite that the company is contributing to Liberty Park are all being completed by Oliveira Contracting’s team of skilled workers. While Oliveira Contracting is installing the light post footings at the street level, the company is working with one of its many reliable subcontractors to install the light posts that will sit on top of the park and light the streets below.

Opportunities for all

In choosing which subcontractors to trust to perform to the high-quality standards expected by Oliveira Contracting, the company relies on a strong network of businesses with which it has established working relationships, and is also consistently looking to create new partnerships. “We like to offer Minority-and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) companies an opportunity to get on board with projects,” says Desa. “For a project such as this, that has had ongoing construction projects over the years, we look for folks who have experience working at the site. Due to security and background checks, using companies that have worked here before makes it a lot smoother.”

Oliveira Contracting itself is a certified Women-owned Business Enterprise. The company was founded in 2003 by Carmelina Oliveira and has maintained the capability of providing full support to its clients from the planning stages through to the final signoff.

Desa has been with Oliveira Contracting for nine years. Before joining the company, he utilized his managerial skills overseeing an airline operation. With the economy continuing to bounce back, Desa maintains a positive outlook on the future of the construction industry. “Things are looking good, especially in this market,” he says. “I think there are a lot of opportunities coming up and the future looks bright for us.”

With pride in providing its clients with the highest degree of excellence in performance, detail and a cost-conscious approach to all projects, Oliveira Contracting Inc. will soon add Liberty Park World Trade Center to its portfolio as a successfully completed project with another satisfied client.