General Contractor in Brooklyn: Building New York Since 1988
Eurostruct has been a general contractor in Brooklyn since 1988. We work from our headquarters at 228 Russell Street in Greenpoint and build across New York City, mostly in Manhattan and Brooklyn, for architects, institutions and private owners. This page explains what we build, how a lump-sum general contract works with us, and what makes a Brooklyn contractor with its own trades different.
What we build
Our portfolio is concentrated in four areas:
- Galleries and cultural buildings. Among them are David Zwirner on West 20th Street, Gladstone Gallery, the Brant Foundation and the Swiss Institute, working with architects such as Selldorf Architects and Gluckman Tang. More in Building art galleries in New York.
- Schools. These include Dalton, Berkeley Carroll, Packer and Rodeph Sholom School, often built over a single summer.
- Townhouses and brownstones, including landmarked buildings in Greenwich Village, Chelsea and the Upper East Side.
- Commercial and workplace projects, from the Nanotronics facility at the Brooklyn Navy Yard to showrooms, corporate interiors and sound studios.
- Religious and non-profit institutions, such as Congregation Rodeph Sholom.
The full list is on our projects page.
What “general contractor” means with us
As a general contractor we take responsibility for building the architect’s design for an agreed price. It works best with design-bid-build: the drawings are complete before construction begins, contractors bid on them, and the owner signs a lump-sum (stipulated sum) contract. The general contractor carries the risk of buying out the work for that price; the owner’s cost changes only through approved changes in scope.
We typically use AIA A101, the standard owner–contractor agreement for a stipulated sum, with AIA A201 general conditions. When the design isn’t finished or the schedule can’t wait, we recommend construction manager at risk instead.
Our own shops, our own people
Most New York general contractors manage subcontractors and make little themselves. We employ about 150 people and work from a 22,500-square-foot facility in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, which houses estimating, contracts, accounting and insurance administration alongside our own millwork shop and steel fabrication shop. Gallery wall systems, casework, vitrines, doors and paneling, stairs, railings and structural steel are made by Eurostruct rather than bought out.
Our project managers are based on site and travel between site and office, which keeps a single point of accountability on every job from award through closeout. Projects are run in Procore, estimating and buyout are done in-house, and our long-standing subcontractors work under our direct management. We explain the shops in detail in A general contractor with its own wood shop and steel shop.
Building in old New York
Much of our work is in buildings more than a century old, often next to neighbors on shared party walls. Typical scopes from our projects:
- Excavation and underpinning along property lines, with soldier piles and rakers, as at the West Village Brownstone.
- Replacing a superstructure with new steel while keeping a landmarked façade, as at the Upper East Side townhouse and at Packer.
- Restoring landmarked façades and stoops in coordination with the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
- Water management and below-grade work: dewatering, waterproofing and cellars dug into bedrock.
We also deliver LEED-certified and Passive House buildings. David Zwirner on West 20th Street was the first LEED-certified commercial gallery in the United States.
Because our carpenters, masons and shops are our own, we can respond quickly when an existing condition turns up, without waiting for a subcontractor to schedule a visit.
Starting a project with us
The best time to call is while the drawings are still in progress. We can price the design, flag constructability issues and long-lead items, and recommend the right contract, lump sum or CMAR. Learn more about general contracting at Eurostruct or get in touch through the contact form.
