Polo Grounds is the Nation’s First Public Housing Complex Using Pneumatic Waste Collection
NEW YORK, NY – STV, a leading professional services firm that plans, designs and manages infrastructure projects across North America, today celebrated the opening of a state-of-the-art trash terminal at New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) Polo Grounds Towers in Manhattan. It marks the first of four residential buildings on the site that will utilize the modernized waste collection system, which benefits 3,942 residents across four 30-story towers.
Polo Ground Towers is now the first public housing complex in the country to host a state-of-the-art pneumatic waste collection system that collects both trash and recyclables. Residents of the four towers collectively generate an average of 8 to 10 tons of waste each day. To reduce unwanted pests and reclaim public space formerly occupied by trash collection, the pneumatic tube system collects waste directly from the four residential buildings.
The waste is then transported at 60 miles per hour through a series of tubes to a collection building for storage and removal. In the U.S., pneumatic systems are often used for bank drive-thrus and hospitals, however they are not typically used for public housing waste management due to significant underground space needed to successfully execute installation.
As Construction Management-Agent (CMa) for the project, STV procured and managed the air monitoring, special inspections and commissioning teams. STV also coordinated all required testing, commissioning and inspections; and provided the design review services for the constructability, submittals, schedules and coordination of contractors, residents, the project team and other stakeholders.
“Waste storage is a unique challenge for large residential complexes, so this practical yet imaginative solution will help create a cleaner, more spacious environment for local residents,” said Luis Delgado, CCM, PMP, president of the national Program Management/Construction Management (PM/CM) group at STV. “We’re proud to be long-term partners with NYCHA and honored to work together on improving all aspects of the resident experience.”
For more than 20 years, STV has partnered with NYCHA at properties across the city to improve quality of life for its residents with security enhancements, site-wide lighting, community center upgrades and new waste management systems. STV has also developed specialized teams to support the maintenance of essential exterior building components; apartment interiors; mechanical/electrical/plumbing systems such as centralized boilers; electrical utilities; and electrification. STV’s work with NYCHA has received several industry awards from the Construction Management Association of America, including recognition for The Andrew Jackson Houses in the Bronx, security enhancements across 34 developments and Kingsborough Houses in Brooklyn. Most recently, STV was selected to support the revitalization of more than 1,500 residential units at the Saint Nicholas Houses in Harlem.
