More from Quality of Life meeting: returning tenants; police parking; work at railyard; lot line windows
This is the third article about topics raised at the Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Quality of Life meeting 3/5/19. The first concerned the plans to meet the 2025 deadline for 2,250 units of affordable housing. The second concerned plans apparently percolating for the project at Site 5.
Are all the affordable units leased, asked resident Pauline Blake? (There are 782 below-market units, in three towers.)
Almost all of those units are leased, said Greenland Forest City Partners’ Scott Solish. Indeed, a look at the last building to be completed, 38 Sixth Avenue, shows only two units to be leased, and—unlike in the past—they are not offering a free month or two (or three) as concessions.
How many units were designated for residential tenants who were displaced—and promised replacement space in the project?
The Daily News in November 2012 reported that—of 209 renters offered the relocation agreement or a cash payment averaging $85,000–17 former tenants had taken the deal. The developer could not, however, promise them space in the first tower but instead they had to go through the lottery.
“Out of 21 total, two families haven't come back,” Greenland USA's project manager Scott Solish said. “One has been housed in alternative housing, one is waiting to come back, we're still in contact with them.”
Police parking
With respect to the 24 parking spaces that were required to be provided for the 78th Precinct, “the developer is in compliance,” said Tobi Jaiyesimi of Empire State Development (ESD), by providing those spaces at the 535 Carlton tower.
However, that’s one long block (and a bit more) from the precinct, and officers are not using it. (At a previous meeting, it was also said that the police thought there might be an ethical issue.)
“I understand that NYPD has given a number of different reasons” regarding not using the space, she said. “ESD’s role is to ensure that mitigation is provided and developer is in compliance.”
Developer update: demolition
On Block 1120, one of the two buildings that “bump” into the railyard, has come down, according to Solish. (Photos from his presentation will be here.)
Scaffolding is up on remaining building. Hand demolition should take 6 to 8 weeks. Once part of the building near the railyard is down, they will use mechanical equipment. The demolition work should be done by early May.
Almost all of those units are leased, said Greenland Forest City Partners’ Scott Solish. Indeed, a look at the last building to be completed, 38 Sixth Avenue, shows only two units to be leased, and—unlike in the past—they are not offering a free month or two (or three) as concessions.
How many units were designated for residential tenants who were displaced—and promised replacement space in the project?
The Daily News in November 2012 reported that—of 209 renters offered the relocation agreement or a cash payment averaging $85,000–17 former tenants had taken the deal. The developer could not, however, promise them space in the first tower but instead they had to go through the lottery.
“Out of 21 total, two families haven't come back,” Greenland USA's project manager Scott Solish said. “One has been housed in alternative housing, one is waiting to come back, we're still in contact with them.”
Police parking
With respect to the 24 parking spaces that were required to be provided for the 78th Precinct, “the developer is in compliance,” said Tobi Jaiyesimi of Empire State Development (ESD), by providing those spaces at the 535 Carlton tower.
However, that’s one long block (and a bit more) from the precinct, and officers are not using it. (At a previous meeting, it was also said that the police thought there might be an ethical issue.)
“I understand that NYPD has given a number of different reasons” regarding not using the space, she said. “ESD’s role is to ensure that mitigation is provided and developer is in compliance.”
Developer update: demolition
On Block 1120, one of the two buildings that “bump” into the railyard, has come down, according to Solish. (Photos from his presentation will be here.)
Solish showed a photo of work on the retaining wall at the East Portal, at Vanderbilt Avenue. A crane was to arrive on Wednesday, March 3, and would be there for four to six weeks, thus expanding the area where traffic would be limited.
At B4 site
Work on Long Island Rail Road infrastructure at the B4 site—the northeast corner of the arena block—involving the a drill track rack enclosure--used to direct trains from Atlantic Terminal into the storage yard—should be done by the end of March.
Asked why workers were at the site at 6 pm on a recent day, Solish said, once that work is finished, “it allows us to get B4 built… We want to make the 2025 affordable housing deadline.”
“Is this covered by the MEC,” or Memorandum of Environmental Commitments that the developer and ESD agreed on to protect against neighborhood impacts.
“Yeah, it's part of the yard work,” Solish responded.
Resident Peter Krashes pointed out that, when work is done by the Long Island Rail Road, it has not been covered by the MEC.
“I assume it's covered by the MEC,” Solish said. (That's hardly clear, given that the Long Island Rail Road and parent MTA are not parties to the documents, thus allowing certain noisy impacts to go unmitigated.)
Solish said they were also working to finish LIRR's permanent office facility in the railyard, which would replace the trailers in the below-ground B4 site. That should be finished in two weeks, he said.
Progress at B15, and questions from neighbors
At B15, aka 662 Pacific Street, which will contain a school plus apartments, preliminary work for the demolition began the day of the meeting, with excavation expected to start this coming week.
In response to a question, he said the middle school entrance will be on Sixth Avenue between Dean and Pacific Streets, opposite the 38 Sixth Avenue apartment building, which flanks the arena.
Krashes said tenants in the residential building adjacent to the B15 site, who have windows on west side of their building, are confused as to whether their windows will persist once B15 is built.
Solish said he’d check, and reach out to the tenants; he also noted that the building’s owner had changed. “To the extent that anyone requests an air conditioner”—available to muffle noise—“we'll make sure they get one.”
He said “there probably are some lot line windows” and noted that it’s not uncommon for such windows to close when there’s adjacent construction.
At B4 site
Work on Long Island Rail Road infrastructure at the B4 site—the northeast corner of the arena block—involving the a drill track rack enclosure--used to direct trains from Atlantic Terminal into the storage yard—should be done by the end of March.
Asked why workers were at the site at 6 pm on a recent day, Solish said, once that work is finished, “it allows us to get B4 built… We want to make the 2025 affordable housing deadline.”
“Is this covered by the MEC,” or Memorandum of Environmental Commitments that the developer and ESD agreed on to protect against neighborhood impacts.
“Yeah, it's part of the yard work,” Solish responded.
Resident Peter Krashes pointed out that, when work is done by the Long Island Rail Road, it has not been covered by the MEC.
“I assume it's covered by the MEC,” Solish said. (That's hardly clear, given that the Long Island Rail Road and parent MTA are not parties to the documents, thus allowing certain noisy impacts to go unmitigated.)
Solish said they were also working to finish LIRR's permanent office facility in the railyard, which would replace the trailers in the below-ground B4 site. That should be finished in two weeks, he said.
Progress at B15, and questions from neighbors
At B15, aka 662 Pacific Street, which will contain a school plus apartments, preliminary work for the demolition began the day of the meeting, with excavation expected to start this coming week.
In response to a question, he said the middle school entrance will be on Sixth Avenue between Dean and Pacific Streets, opposite the 38 Sixth Avenue apartment building, which flanks the arena.
Krashes said tenants in the residential building adjacent to the B15 site, who have windows on west side of their building, are confused as to whether their windows will persist once B15 is built.
Solish said he’d check, and reach out to the tenants; he also noted that the building’s owner had changed. “To the extent that anyone requests an air conditioner”—available to muffle noise—“we'll make sure they get one.”
He said “there probably are some lot line windows” and noted that it’s not uncommon for such windows to close when there’s adjacent construction.
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