NEW YORK — July 22, 2025 — A major new recreation hub in East Flatbush is set to open its doors this fall — just as one of the driving forces behind it, Thomas Foley, wraps up a 30-year career shaping New York City’s public buildings and infrastructure.

Inside the nearly finished Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center, named for the trailblazing Brooklyn congresswoman, Foley points out features that local families have long awaited: an indoor pool, a full gym, an indoor running track, and a bright dance studio — all part of a $141 million investment in healthy, accessible community space.

“Just imagine the impact that's going to have for the community for families, and we are delighted that we are able to deliver on time, on budget, the way public projects should be,” said Foley, the outgoing commissioner of the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC).

The Staten Island native, who now calls Brooklyn home, began as an intern with the city’s Department of Environmental Protection three decades ago and steadily rose through the ranks — ultimately leading an agency that builds everything from police stations and libraries to critical green infrastructure and coastal resiliency defenses across all five boroughs.

Foley’s tenure included guiding city projects through some of New York’s most difficult moments — from 9/11, to Superstorm Sandy, to the COVID-19 pandemic — when emergency construction and rapid-response infrastructure were vital.

“Being able to be a civil servant when things hit the fan, whether that's after 9/11, Sandy, COVID — to be able to help out, to volunteer, to contribute — that's who we are,” Foley said. “I am confident the team will continue that mission and thrive even after I have left the building.”

A hallmark of his legacy is pushing for smarter, faster delivery of public projects. Foley championed Design-Build legislation in Albany, giving the city more flexibility to hire designers and contractors as a single team — a method that can shave years off traditional project timelines. The Shirley Chisholm Rec Center is a prime example: Designed by Studio Gang and built by Consigli Construction, the project is being delivered significantly faster than it would under the old “design-bid-build” approach.

“So compared to design, bid, build — which is lowest bid — this is design-build. This is going to be delivered at least two years quicker compared to the traditional model. So it’s a great program, it’s a great initiative that Tom has championed. It will be great for the city of New York going forward,” said Sam Hodgkinson, senior design project manager for Consigli Construction.

Beyond East Flatbush, Foley has left his mark across the city — from police and fire stations to libraries and transformative projects like the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, which aims to protect Lower Manhattan from future storms and rising sea levels.

Foley attended Monsignor Farrell High School and studied civil engineering at Manhattan College, a path that set him on course to help rebuild and expand the city’s critical infrastructure over three decades.

Later this month, he will step away from city service to join the Mount Sinai Health System, taking his passion for complex project delivery to New York’s healthcare sector — but he says he won’t stop keeping tabs on the public work he helped champion.

“My job certainly as commissioner has been to build better, faster, cheaper. I think we achieved that through getting the tools that we need and then empowering our staff,” Foley said, reflecting on a career dedicated to making the city’s neighborhoods stronger, greener, and better connected.

When the new rec center opens its doors this fall, thousands of East Flatbush residents — from kids learning to swim to seniors staying active — will step into a legacy built to last for decades to come.

Originally reported by Roger Clark in NY1 Spectrum News.