From the latest Construction Alert: arena moves toward Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (thanks to three shifts of work)

The key information from the latest two-week Atlantic Yards Construction Alert, dated 8/27/12 and issued yesterday by Empire State Development (after preparation by Forest City Ratner) is the move toward a needed TCO, or Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, which is supposed to be achieved by 9/5/12.

According to the document (embedded below), it looks like they're on schedule:

The NYC DOB [Department of Buildings) performed the first and preliminary TCO walk-though of the facility on 08/20/12. The second is scheduled for 08/27/12, and the final on 09/04/12. The FDNY started the fire alarm and fire protection inspections on 08/21/12 and will continue through the week of 08/21/12, returning three days for the final inspections the week of 08/27/12.

A TCO indicates that a building is safe to occupy and can get insurance; the document typically expires in 90 days but can be renewed.

The Construction Alert details progress in various areas, as well as the need for overnight shifts, and jackhammers, to get all the work done. Clearly substantial work will be needed to finish the building, both to open it on Sept. 28 and to complete it fully by 6/30/13, but the issue for the DOB is whether

For example, punch list work is now complete on the Transit Canopy and New York City Transit will inspect this week.

Carlton Avenue Bridge

The concrete pours for the North Approach Slab and the bridge deck have been completed, while "[e]rection and bolt-up of bridge steel for all spans has been completed," with pouring of sidewalks and approach slabs continuing.

The surface parking lot, Block 1129

• Work on the adjacent sidewalks at Carlton Avenue and Dean Street has commenced and will continue for the next three weeks. The north side parking lane on Dean Street will be taken during construction of the sidewalk. Permits have been secured.
• Installation of the site sewer connections in Pacific Street between Carlton Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue will continue and is expected to be completed in approximately two weeks. Traffic on Pacific Street will be closed at the locations of the work being performed.
• Asphalt paving will begin during this period on the west side of the parking lot.

Enlarging Pacific Street sidewalk between arena and parking lot

During this two week period the strip of weeds on the north side of Pacific Street between 6th and Carlton Avenues will be replaced with concrete sidewalk to widen the pedestrian area as required by the FEIS. The parking lane on the north side of the street and the entire sidewalk will be closed for the duration of the work. Work is expected to take approximately 5 days. Work may or may not be done during the holiday weekend, depending on weather and logistics. No parking signs will be posted at the beginning of the week

On Dean Street

• The retractable bollard installation at the truck entry has commenced and will continue during this reporting period during overnight hours.

A few delays

While the traffic median on Atlantic Avenue at the arena block is expected this week, according to the previous alert it was supposed to begin last week. Bollard installation on Sixth Avenue was supposed to be complete last week.
Atlantic Yards Construction Alert 8-27-2012