Confirmed: work at B4 and B15 sites shutting down out of caution (despite affordable housing exception); still waiting for two-week Construction Update
Updated 11:30 am 4/1/20: A spokesman for Greenland Forest City Partners confirms that B4 and B15 are shutting down out of caution for workers.
Well, some work on both B4 (18 Sixth Avenue) and B15 (37 Sixth Avenue or 662/664 Pacific Street) was continuing yesterday and today, as the photos show. Indeed, that looks like a concrete truck near the B4 site, in the photo at right.
And such work was permissible, given the state announcement Friday that projects with 20% or more affordable housing could continue, as well as the city's clarification yesterday that projects outside city zoning with 30% or more affordable housing could continue.
(At B15, 94 of 312 units would be affordable; at B4, 258 of 860 units would be affordable.)
But I was told by a source that both sites were actually in the process of shutting down, given a decision by the project managers to stress worker safety, with B15 closing down faster.
If so--and I don't have official confirmation--that makes sense, given the significant challenge in maintaining social distancing and clean hands at most construction sites, despite the state's willingness to allow exceptions.
Where's the Construction Update?
We're also waiting for the two-week Construction Update, prepared by Greenland Forest City and distributed by Empire State Development (ESD), the state authority that oversees/shepherds the project.
That update, which should have been dated as of Monday, 3/30/20, would typically have been circulated on Friday afternoon, with some lead time. (Here's the previous update.)
In some cases, that update has been issued on Monday mornings and, less often, even later.
It's understandable that, in such a time of flux, the update would be delayed. But it should be issued at some point, since it would detail plans not only for B4 and B15, but also for work at the railyard.
Yesterday, I queried ESD about the update, and will add information when I learn more.
 |
| Looking north on Sixth Avenue at B15 and B4 |
And such work was permissible, given the state announcement Friday that projects with 20% or more affordable housing could continue, as well as the city's clarification yesterday that projects outside city zoning with 30% or more affordable housing could continue.
(At B15, 94 of 312 units would be affordable; at B4, 258 of 860 units would be affordable.)
But I was told by a source that both sites were actually in the process of shutting down, given a decision by the project managers to stress worker safety, with B15 closing down faster.
If so
 |
| Note worker wearing a mask |
Where's the Construction Update?
We're also waiting for the two-week Construction Update, prepared by Greenland Forest City and distributed by Empire State Development (ESD), the state authority that oversees/shepherds the project.
That update, which should have been dated as of Monday, 3/30/20, would typically have been circulated on Friday afternoon, with some lead time. (Here's the previous update.)
In some cases, that update has been issued on Monday mornings and, less often, even later.
It's understandable that, in such a time of flux, the update would be delayed. But it should be issued at some point, since it would detail plans not only for B4 and B15, but also for work at the railyard.
Yesterday, I queried ESD about the update, and will add information when I learn more.
Comments
Post a Comment