The biggest Atlantic Yards news this morning on the Brian Lehrer Show was the
blunt statement by Rafael Cestero, Commissioner of the city Department of Housing, Preservation, and Development, that his department felt an additional housing subsidy request by Forest City Ratner "was not a good public investment."
But there were some enlightening moments in another segment,
Pre-Fab At Atlantic Yards, notably observations that it's difficult to create an esthetically satisfying modular tower, and Forest City Ratner is working in uncharted territory.
Lehrer started off the discussion by pointing out that the developer is
considering a 34-story modular tower, the tallest in the world. Modular construction is untested at this height and, while it could cut construction costs in half, unionized construction workers would lose many jobs they expected.
"Charles Bagli joins me now," Lehrer said. "He's the reporter at the New York Times whose been covering the many twists in this troubled development project."
Actually, Bagli's covered the project quite episodically, and was never seen to a court hearing or public hearing of the Empire State Development Corporation. (He did go to some hearings and meetings of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.)
I don't know what I'm capable of hurting or helping.
ReplyDeleteI'd be in favor of taking any money we saved by going overseas for the steel beams and then taking an amount that would have gone to Americans or unions and then giving them a 40th of what was saved and give it to them for doing nothing. Or, if a guy says, I won't work but a tenant says I'll pay for 40 years to have that unit then the tenant signs a document that he owes that worker a percentage saved for making the building as fast and as cheap as possible. some kind of terms that work for people...a blend. But easier said than paperworked and divied. How would each union worker like to have a temp. assistant or apprentice?
FYI, the factory would be local, not overseas.
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