PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

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I graduated from New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury with a Bachelors of Architecture in 1977, magna cum laude.  I am currently writing my thesis for a Masters of Science in City and Regional Planning at Pratt Institute, which is comprised of a book on Building Rehabilitation and Construction.

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My first job in 1977 was two years with Griswold, Heckel and Kelly, an interior office-planning firm.  I spent a few months with Epstein/Greenfield Architects, a firm specializing in bank design, and in 1980 I got a staff position with the Pratt Institute Center for Community and Environmental Development.  This is a non-profit urban planning and architectural firm involved in the development of housing in low and moderate income neighborhoods.  I retained this position to June 1982, at which time I took my private practice to full time.

I.The largest area of my current work is the performance of traditional architectural services in construction projects.  This includes building inspections and evaluations, design development, preparation of scopes of work, cost estimates, specifications and construction drawings, bidding and construction administration.  The size of my projects range from small homes to large multiple dwellings and commercial projects.

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Financing sources for these projects are conventional and government subsidized, including HPD Vacant Building Program, HPD Participation Loan Program, HPD 8A and SRO Loan Program, HPD Capital Budget Homeless Housing Program, NYS Homeless Housing Assistance Program, the Enterprise Foundation, LISC, NYS Office of Mental Health, HPD Neighborhood Works and Neighborhood Entrepreneur Program among others.  Many projects also receive private funds from tax syndications.

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I have participated in an estimated 500 construction projects totaling approximately 11,000 dwelling units since 1980.  Examples include the following:

 

     2215 Newkirk Avenue                        77 DUs                        PLP with Citibank
     572 Sterling Place                                16 DUs                        HPD Sweat Equity
     184-8 Fifth Avenue, BK                      10 DUs/3C                  PLP with CPC
     834 Riverside Drive, NYC                   32 DUs                        PLP with CPC
     1974 51 Street, BK                               47 DUs                        PLP w/CPC + HoDAG
     237 Eldridge Street                              38 DUs                       HPD 8A w/Citibank
     204-206 East 7th, NYC                        48 DUs                       HPD 8A
     1138-1142 Pacific Street, BK             30 RMs                       NYS HHAP + HPD
     2252 Crotona Avenue, BX                 16 DUs                       NYS HHAP
     Senate Hotel: 206-08 West 92 St.    125 RMs                    HPD
     1206-08 Pacific Street, BK                   32 DUs                      Chemical Bank
     225-227 St. Anns Ave, BX                    18 DUs                      NYS HHAP
     332 Bergen Street, BK                           8 DUs                       HPD & NHS
     377 Edgecombe Avenue, NYC           15 DUs                     HPD PLP & 7A w/Chase
     574 West 126 Street, NYC                   15 DUs                     HPD PLP & 7A w/Chase
     University Ave. Cluster, BX                 174 DUs                   NEP III
     West 128th Street Cluster, NYC        182 DUs                   NEP IV
     Porter AvenueResidence, BK             400 Beds                 NYC DHS
     East 168th Street Cluster, BX             127 DUs                   NEP V
     New Foundations, Phase I, BX          24  3-family homes   HPD
     New Foundations, Phase II, BX        18  3-family homes   HPD
     Wales Avenue Residence, BX             400 Beds                 NYC DHS
     University Macombs Apts., BX          210 DUs                   HPD & NYCHA
     504 West 171 Street, NYC                    21 DUs                     HPD PLP
     1068 Gerard Avenue, BX                      82 DUs                     HDC
     450 W131 Street, NYC                           104 DUs                   HPD, HUD
     1685 Topping Avenue, BX                   43 DUs                      HPD, PLP
     Harlem Brownstones, NYC                8 3-Family Homes HPD, NHP
     Montgomery Macombs, BX              111 DUs                    HPD, NYCHA
     Halsey Street Houses3                        3-Family Homes    HPD, Habitat for Humanity
     850 Jennings Street1                            03 DUs                       HPD Cornerstone
     SCHAP                                                      120 + Homes           Parodneck Foundation
     1085 Washington Ave                          90 DUs                      HDC
     UAC III                                                       173 DUs                    HPD & NYCHA
     1028 Bushwick Avenue                       53 DUs                       HPD PLP

II.

The second area of our work is architectural consulting.  This includes involvement with lending institutions, owners or co-ops that retain me for various services, as follows:

Monitoring architect for lending institutions involved in construction projects, including CPC, JP Morgan Chase CDC, Low Income Investment Fund and Carver Federal Savings (formerly Community Capital Bank);
Building evaluation, scope of work, and cost estimates for properties in Freddie Macs portfolio;
Existing conditions reports for potential building purchasers;
Review and responses to architects plans for work proposed in co-op buildings for individual owners;
Independent inspections and reports on the quality and legality of contract documents and construction;
Expert testimony in housing litigation.

III. 

The third area of work is construction management.  Through a separate corporation, Santoriello Construction Management Inc., I have been involved in a wide range of construction related activities, including:

Project preparation and construction scheduling;
Cost estimating and budget projections;
Project bidding and negotiations;
Subcontractor coordination;
Site inspections and reporting;
Requisition and change order preparation and negotiations;
Owners project representative services (OPR).

The role of the OPR has been executed on several recent projects, most notably the gut rehabilitation of over 700 DUs in 23 buildings in HPDs Vacant Cluster Program, the rehabilitation and reuse of the former Morrisania Hospital in the Bronx and currently on 575 5th Avenue in Brooklyn, a 49-unit assisted living facility.  Typical tasks are as follows:

Inspection of the existing vacant buildings;
Review and recommendations on the architects proposed designs;
Review and recommendations on the construction drawings and     specifications;
Design of bidding strategy, overseeing of the bidding process and price     negotiations;
Review of general contractor qualifications and references;
Assistance in preparation of the construction contract;
Overseeing the construction scheduling by the three general contractors used on the clusters of buildings;
Chairing meetings attended by all participants;
Review and negotiation of requisitions and change orders;
Maintain owners site office with a full-time presence, development of project files and logs;
Processing and routing of all information flowing between the owner, general contractor, architect and lenders;
Ongoing construction monitoring, development of punchlists and review of as-built drawings;
Administration of project close-out and building turnover.

IV.

The fourth area of my work is education.  Since 1983 I have conducted ongoing lectures to housing attorneys and non-profit community developers in the various aspects of housing rehabilitation.  Also, I have taught a Graduate and Continuing Education course at Pratt Institute in Building Rehabilitation, a course that has received New York State approval for use in the Real Estate Sales Licensing courses.  Further, I developed a series of technical training sessions to recipients of HHAP housing development grants and another series for CPC loan officers, Chase CDC loan officers and Freddie Mac staff and loan servicers.

Among the topics taught in these classes are:

Building Anatomy and Evaluation;
Preparation of a Scope of Work and Cost Estimate;
Participants in the Construction Process;
Rehabilitation and Construction.

Robert Santoriello​​