From the latest Construction Alert: noisy jackhammering on Atlantic Avenue will be by day, not night; surface parking lot scheduled to start soon

The latest two-week Atlantic Yards Construction Alert, dated 5/21/12 (and embedded below) and released today by Empire State Development after preparation by Forest City Ratner, quietly reveals that noisy jackhammering along Atlantic Avenue will be done during the day, thus sparing residents' sleep, even as it may cause drivers to complain.

Work on raised medians along Atlantic Avenue from Flatbush Avenue to Vanderbilt Avenue--aimed to mitigate the impact of traffic and make it easier to cross--was supposed to begin in April but apparently has been delayed as the methods were debated. (Previous late-night jackhammering disturbed many residents.)

And while the state agency (via Forest City) had stated that work at night would be faster, the city Department of Transportation's Office of Construction Mitigation and Coordination (OCMC) "reviewed the scope and location of the medians and determined the work shall be performed during daytime hours."

That will take lanes out of service during the work period, though some traffic signal and street light conduit work may occur during nighttime hours. Because other project-related work will take lanes out of service, the median work must be scheduled block by block.

Other highlights: railyard lights, parking lot

Also noted in the Construction Alert, some railyard lights in the eastern portion of the yard will not be turned off at 3 am on some nights but will be left on during some light plumbing work that is described as quiet and subject to cancellation if there is rain.

Also, as work in the north rail yard is completed in preparation for cutover in mid-June, and work in the yard turns into a 24-hour a day operation around that time, yard lights will on all night, and it's possible "that yard lights may intermittently need to be turned on all night through the end of June."

This "is essential to timely completion" of the Carlton Avenue Bridge, which is supposed to be open before the arena opens September 28 but is currently delayed.

Construction of the Block 1129 surface parking lot, once officially slated to start on May 15, is now scheduled to start "during this reporting period." Also scheduled soon is the broadcast lot at Dean Street and Sixth Avenue.

The alert notes that a "laborer has been used when necessary to manage dust suppression in Block 1129." Previous alerts pointed to a full-time laborer.

Below, I've bolded other notable changes from the previous alert.

Deliveries & Site Access

• Hunt has demobilized the access ramp at Dean Street and Flatbush Avenue. The main gate and delivery ramp is now and will remain for the future at Pacific Street and 6th Avenue. The access route to the Pacific gate remains posted at the site and is the same as it has been throughout the project. Access is also available via the Atlantic Avenue gates at the Fort Greene intersection, midway between the Ft. Greene and 6th Avenue intersection and limited access for concrete trucks on Flatbush Avenue across from 5th Avenue and at the Dean Street intersection. The removal of the Pacific Street ramp, from the bottom to the top, is projected to be completed during this reporting period.
• Steel deliveries and steel erection at the main entry canopy and the east center of the arena will continue throughout this reporting period.

Revisions to the perimeter construction fence are projected to continue this reporting period, in order to allow the site construction activity to ramp up. Adjustments will be made to the portion of the fence along Dean Street & 6th Avenue and Dean Street & Flatbush Avenue. Revisions to the Atlantic Avenue fence may start this reporting period. A temporary sidewalk bridge has been placed over the Flatbush Avenue east side sidewalk during the erection of the main entry canopy. The permit has been secured for this work and the work is projected to start late during this reporting period.

Excavation

• Excavation for the “A and B” lines (which circle the basketball court and ice floor) and inner bowl footings that support the precast rakers is complete. The excavation and disposal of soils at the Pacific Street ramp will be completed this period.

Steel Erection and Stadia Installation

• Precast erection in the lower bowl is complete. Precast detailing continues in the lower bowl.• The maintenance of the site to accommodate steel erection and stadia installation will continue during this period. Miscellaneous mechanical equipment will continue to be brought into the site through the gate at Pacific Street and 6th Avenue, the Dean Street and Flatbush Avenue gate and the Ft. Greene gate throughout this reporting period.

Waterproofing & Fireproofing

• The application of waterproofing to the interior foundation walls is complete. The exterior top of foundation walls (curbs) waterproofing at Flatbush is complete. The Atlantic Avenue foundation wall waterproofing should be completed this reporting period.
• The waterproofing of the interior walls of the east and west stormwater retention tanks has been completed. The preparation for the testing of the tanks has begun. The testing is projected to start with the equalizer line this reporting period. The testing was delayed from the last period due to damage to the equalizer line.
• Phase 1 of the permanent roofing is complete. The phase 2 permanent roofing will continue this reporting period.

Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing

• Temporary electric power will remain in place to supplement finish trades power needs for a projected five more weeks.

Interior Build-out

• Precast erection within the lower bowl seating area is complete. The placement of concrete column wraps will be completed during this reporting period.
• The placement of slab on grade (SOG) concrete will continue within the arena site at the event level, Area “C” (southeast quadrant) during this reporting period. There are two projected SOG placements that remain.
• The ice floor is scheduled to be placed on or about May 24th to May 30th. The ice floor is a monolithic concrete placement that will start at 5:00 AM and will continue through surface finishing until approximately 2:00 AM the following morning. The second/third shift activity will be limited to surface prep and require little or no traffic outside the arena walls.

Railyard/Electrical Ducts and Manholes

• The installation of the power feeders and splicing of the cables will continue throughout this reporting period.

Carlton Ave. Bridge

• Construction of Pier #2 has been completed. Work has commenced on Pier #1 and will continue during the next two weeks.

East End (former Gasoline Station)

• Construction of a tall retaining wall along the Vanderbilt Ave. end of the yard is progressing within the yard. Permits have been secured for placement of concrete in the stem wall from Vanderbilt Avenue. This work will require that the west southbound traffic lane and adjoining sidewalk be temporarily taken out of service when concrete trucks are present from which concrete will be pumped into the wall below. The bottom half of the wall was poured in one day. After the wall’s bottom half cures the top half of the wall will be formed and poured, again using concrete pumped from along Vanderbilt Avenue above. MPT will set up on both sides of the concrete truck/pumping operation and pedestrians will be directed to the sidewalk on the other side of the street on the day of this activity.

Arena Site Work

Bollard and cub [sic] installation work will commence along 6th Avenue and Dean Street during this reporting period. The construction of the site benches at the tip of the site is underway along with the electrical distribution work in this area.

Broadcast Lot – Block 1128

The vacant lot at the northeast corner of Dean Street and 6th Avenue that is currently being used as temporary NYPD parking will be improved for use as an at grade broadcast location for the Arena. The improvements include permeable asphalt paving, fencing with a decorative screen, lights which will be focused on the interior of the lot and pedestals for power and data connections. We have submitted an Alteration Type 2 application to the Department of Buildings and expect a permit within the two week period. Prior to start of construction our environmental consultant will perform tests to classify the soils. The work may be done with a drill rig or small excavator. Once the Alt 2 permit is issued the general contractor will mobilize at the site, erect standard construction fencing and perimeter protection immediately upon receipt of the permit. The work is scheduled to be complete this fall.

(Note that a permit was expected during the last reporting period.)
Atlantic Yards Construction Alert 5-21-2012