PISO partnered with the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and Electrify America to design and build a 6-dispenser DC fast charging site in Sunnyside, Queens, a project made distinctive by its location beneath an existing elevated rail structure.
The Challenge
- Designing and building underneath an existing elevated train structure, which called for close coordination with the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) on clearance, structural, and access requirements
- Coordinating permitting and inspections across NYPA, NYC DOT, Con Edison, and NYCTA — an additional layer of agency approval beyond most sites
- Navigating subsurface infrastructure and utility conflicts in a constrained footprint shared with active rail infrastructure
- Meeting the extensive municipal review process required to build in New York City
The Solution
- Full turnkey design/build execution, engineered specifically for construction beneath active elevated rail infrastructure
- Construction of a 6-dispenser DC fast charging site for public use
- Installation of a Con Edison M-11 utility vault, excavated to a depth of approximately 9 feet to bring utility power to the site within a tightly constrained footprint
- Direct coordination with NYCTA alongside NYPA, Con Edison, and NYC DOT to sequence construction safely around active transit operations
The Impact
Sunnyside stood out as one of PISO’s more technically demanding builds, requiring the team to design around active transit infrastructure while still meeting the same high-capacity charging standard as its other NYC sites. The project underscored PISO’s ability to solve site-specific engineering challenges that few design/build firms are equipped to take on.
