Kissena Park restroom project breaks ground in Queens

Armand Corporation marked the start of construction on a new public restroom at Kissena Park in Flushing on Oct. 28, part of a five-site New York City design-build program led by NYC DDC and NYC Parks. The project is meant to speed delivery of accessible, durable restroom facilities across busy city parks, with earlier sites already underway and completion of those first projects expected by the end of 2026.

Why it matters: - The Kissena Park restroom adds to a citywide push to deliver modern, ADA-accessible public restrooms in high-use parks across New York City. - The design-build approach is intended to shorten delivery time by running design and construction in parallel. - The program is meant to improve cleanliness, safety and comfort for park visitors while using durable, low-maintenance materials.

What happened: - Armand Corporation held an official groundbreaking on Oct. 28 for a new public restroom building at Kissena Park in Flushing, Queens. - The project is being delivered under a design-build contract with the New York City Department of Design and Construction and is sponsored by NYC Parks. - The ceremony included Barbara A. Armand, NYC DDC Commissioner Paul A. Ochoa, Queens Borough Commissioner Jacqueline Langsam, Congressmember Grace Meng, State Sen. John C. Liu, Assemblymember Nily D. Rozic, Councilmember Sandra Ung, Queens Community Board 7 District Manager Marilyn McAndrews and Leona Chin of Kissena Synergy. - Kissena Park is one of five restroom sites in the bundle, alongside East River Park, Murphy Brothers Playground, Van Cortlandt Park and Brookville Park.

The details: - Kissena Park covers more than 230 acres and includes Kissena Lake, the Kissena Velodrome and miles of trails and athletic fields. - The new facility will sit near softball field No. 5, Four Winds Playground and the Velodrome. - The building will use energy-efficient systems, including a solar array on the roof. - The site will include a new ADA-accessible pathway lit by decorative light poles from Booth Memorial Avenue. - The project uses durable, low-maintenance materials designed to support long-term performance. - INFOTRAN Engineers & Architects, P.C. is Armand Corporation’s design partner on the project. - Armand Corporation, NYC DDC, NYC Parks and local stakeholders engaged the community during planning and design so the facility reflects neighborhood priorities.

Between the lines: - The restroom bundle shows how NYC DDC is using a single delivery model to move multiple park projects at once. - Armand Corporation is the first minority- and woman-owned firm awarded a design-build contract by NYC DDC, making the project a visible example of the agency’s push to expand opportunities for MWBEs. - The city is pairing infrastructure delivery with community input, which suggests an effort to make the facilities both faster to build and better aligned with local use.

What's next: - Work is now underway at all five sites in the program. - Substantial completion of the earlier-started sites is expected by the end of 2026. - Armand Corporation and its partners will continue construction on the Kissena Park restroom and the other four locations.

The bottom line: - Kissena Park is the latest sign that NYC’s design-build restroom program is moving from planning to visible construction across multiple borough parks.

Armand Corporation