At brief community meeting, no big news, but move-ins this summer at 662 Pacific, retail tenant coming at 38 Sixth, Barclays Center to use main entrance (& what about combat parking outside?)

From presentation

The 3/2/21 Quality of Life meeting--supposed to be bimonthly but this time after only a five-week gap--was uneventful, lasting only about a half an hour and drawing just 23 participants on Zoom.

The developer and Empire State Development had no news on big questions like the status of the platform over the Vanderbilt Yard, or plans to start any towers over that platform, crucial to delivering the required affordable housing. 

Ditto for the contemplated plan for a giant two-tower project at Site 5, longtime home to Modell's and P.C. Richard across Flatbush Avenue at the arena.

However, some incremental updates emerged. Construction at the B4 (18 Sixth Ave.) and B15 (662 Pacific St.) towers is on schedule, said Scott Solish of Greenland USA. which dominates Greenland Forest City Partners. (Of course--they work after hours!)

He said B15 should be ready for initial move-ins this summer and B4 by the second half of the year. Each has 30% affordable units, though affordability levels have not been disclosed. But the middle-school at B15 won't be ready until 2024.

Railyard work, and B4 crane coming down

From presentation

Scheduled track repairs at the MTA's Vanderbilt Yard were delayed by snow, but should start this weekend--overnight from Friday through Monday--and continue over multiple weekends. 

The crane associated with the B4 tower, 18 Sixth Avenue, should come down over a weekend in the second half of this month, though a date has not been set yet.

B12/B13's big dig

Amir Stein of TF Cornerstone said that the two-building project of B12 and B13 (615 Dean St. and 595 Dean St.) is on schedule for completion in spring of 2023. 

"So we're continuing on schedule with soil removal," he said. "And we've also begun our concrete pour. And so we're going to continue to pour concrete for our footings, slab on grade, and walls surrounding the foundation. And this summer, we'll be bringing in two tower cranes, at which point we're also going to be bringing the superstructure up to grade."

From presentation

As the photo indicates, it's a deep dig--to accommodate the Chelsea Piers fitness Center and field house.

Retail updates: a tenant at 38 Sixth

Regarding retail at the project, Solish said three spaces at 550 Vanderbilt (B11) were fully leased, and the other space is being used by the developer. (It's been, among other things, the Community Liaison Office, which in pandemic times is not open to the public.)

At 38 Sixth (B3), of the three retail spaces, one is occupied by New-York Methodist Hospital, another is used by Tishman Construction as a field office, and the third has an expected tenant, "which I think everyone in the community will appreciate," Solish said. 

The tenant "will start construction soon," he said. Note that one year ago a tenant--same one?--was expected, but everything was stalled by the pandemic.

At 535 Carlton, there are still three vacant spaces (along with BKLYN Clay), but "we hope we have some exciting news" for that tower in the next few weeks, Solish said.

He had no information regarding the continuing retail vacancies at 461 Dean (B2), perhaps because it's owned by another company and has no real relation to the purported Pacific Park "neighborhood."

Barclays Center will use plaza

The Barclays Center, set to welcome more than 1,700 fans (10% of capacity) to Brooklyn Nets games beginning March 11, after the All-Star Break, will not just use the Dean Street arena entrance, which is where the initial 300 fans have been directed.

The arena will also send other attendees through the front entrance, arena spokeswoman Mandy Gutmann said. That seems logical, to avoid bottlenecks.

Parking outside arena on Atlantic Avenue

Photo Jan. 7, night of Brooklyn Nets game

I submitted the below questions more than ten hours before the meeting, with the attached photo, taken on the night of a fan-less Brooklyn Nets game 1/7/21:

There are "No Standing Anytime" signs along eastbound Atlantic Avenue, outside the Barclays Center.
Arena-related vehicles regularly "combat park" along Atlantic facing out into the first lane.
Has the arena, or anyone else, been given permission to do this? Under whose authority? Is the "No Standing Anytime" rule suspended?

Gutmann said she'd look into my question. 

Tobi Jaiyesimi of Empire State Development noted that parking was regulated by the Department of Transportation and enforced by the New York Police Department, but "we'll take a closer look." 

Well, the arena has long relied on regular flouting of such parking rules, so I'm not expecting much, but stay tuned.

Atlantic Yards CDC

The advisory (but mostly toothless) Atlantic Yards Community Development Corporation (AY CDC) is supposed to meet quarterly but has not steadily kept to that schedule.

The most recent meeting was 12/10/20. Jaiyesimi, who also serves as the AY CDC Executive Director, said they were currently polling directors to establish a meeting date.