Grace Industries LLC (Grace) was awarded NYCDPR Contract Q498-115M for the construction and restoration of the Saltwater Marsh and Coastal Upland Area in Sunset Cove Park. The fast-paced project reached substantial completion in June of 2019, approximately six months after receiving all permits and regulatory approvals, and included work to test, excavate and remove contaminated, non-hazardous soil, as well as hazardous soil due to PCB and lead contamination; clear and grub more than five acres or land, including the removal of nearly 100 trees; import fill, clean sand, and top soil; various plantings; and the remove and replace the existing fence.

Throughout this earthwork focused project, Grace embraced the utilization of several innovative technologies to increase productivity, efficacy and the pace of the work, including drones and GPS devices to survey the area, and automated machinery to dig and push soil, which streamlined the excavation and restoration processes.

Grace affiliate companies Inwood Material Terminal (IMT) and Midnight Trucking were utilized to increase efficiencies of transportation logistics in the removal and import of materials to the coastal project site. Whenever possible, Grace used barges to dispose of the removed soil through IMT’s facilities, lowering trucking emissions and reducing traffic in the dense and highly populated area of Broad Channel, Queens, New York.

Prior to its restoration, the park area consisted largely of construction fill, debris, and invasive vegetation with limited coastal protection and ecological function. The project was designed to enhance the resiliency of the fragile natural systems in Jamaica Bay and to protect the infrastructure within the Broad Channel community. It restores native coastal ecosystems, and introduces access for nature-based recreation and environmental education in an area that was recently inaccessible to the public. Three acres of salt marsh were restored, and seven acres of maritime scrubland and forest were enhanced, including the rehabilitation of the existing shoreline, and improvement of the perimeter to maximize coastal protection.