From the latest Construction Update: still waiting for announced platform work to start, as well as announced work on Dean Street; no mention of school buildout

The latest Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Construction Update (bottom), covering the two weeks beginning Monday, Aug. 22 , was circulated at 4:10 pm yesterday (lead time) by Empire State Development (ESD) after preparation by Greenland Forest City Partners (GFCP), which is dominated by Greenland USA.

It just didn't tell us much. I saw little new compared to the previous update, and the document again excludes the most dramatic change around the project footprint--the work at the arena plaza for revamping of the pavement and other features. 

There was no mention that the buildout of the middle-school--announced separately last week by the developer/operator of the B15 tower (662 Pacific St., aka Plank Road), after communication from the School Construction Authority--was supposed to start.

One change is that there is no longer any after-hours or weekend work at the B4 site, 18 Sixth Ave. (aka Brooklyn Crossing), and there's no more work on residential units there, so apparently that's been completed.

Two weeks ago, new work was announced on the southeast block, at the B12/B13 (615 Dean St./595 Dean St.) sites: the removal of the West Courtyard Sidewalk Shed and the installation of new courtyard fencing. But that apparently didn't start, so--according to the document--it may start over the next two weeks.

Sixth Ave. and Pacific St., Aug. 5, 2022

Platform work may start

For more than three months, they've suggested that the preparatory stage of platform work--crucial to three of the six towers over the Vanderbilt Yard--will finally start, but it still requires, as stated permits to constrain sidewalk access and traffic around the block bounded by Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Street and by Sixth and Carlton Avenues. 

That's the first block of platform work. As I wrote two weeks ago, this raises a question: is this bureaucratic sloth, or has the developer not filed paperwork with the appropriate amount of detail.

Here's the official language:

Pending receipt of all necessary permits, Platform MPT [maintenance and protection of traffic] erection and site mobilization is expected to begin. MPT erection will occur at the street level surrounding Block 1120, resulting in sidewalk closure. Site work will occur in the Bump Area and will include excavation and SOE [support of excavation] installation, in addition foundation work under the 6th Ave. Bridge will commence during this reporting period. .

The work will occur at the street level around Block 1120, which is bounded by Sixth and Carlton avenues, and Pacific Street and Atlantic Avenue. Work is expected from 7 am to 3 pm on weekdays.

Again, the MTA's MTA B45 bus stop at Atlantic and Sixth avenues will be temporarily suspended; the next active bus stop is at Carlton and Atlantic avenues. 

Utility work pending/continuing/completed

Also, utility work is both continuing and pending at the southeast block of the site. As previously predicted multiple times, Con Ed may be on site to install interconnection feeder cables between vaults. 

RCN is yet again expected to pull new fiber optic cables on Dean Street, but the exact start time/date and duration for this work has not yet been confirmed. Verizon and Altice have already installed new cables, but will advise if any additional work is required.

After-hours work continues; again incorrect

Regarding after-hours work at B12 & B13 (615 Dean St/595 Dean St.) on the southeast block, the document accurately says there's a variance for work to start at 6 am on weekdays. It also says "Saturday work from 9 AM – 5 PM will continue."

As with months of previous updates, the variance for tomorrow is 9 am to 5:30 pm. (Same with last Saturday.) That continues a pattern. They--GFCP and site developer TF Cornerstone--just don't care about getting it right; nor does ESD check. The future Saturday variances are not yet public.

Update: regarding B4, it stated "weekday start times at 7 AM and lasting until 6 PM." The ignores the after-hours permits that allow weekday work from 5 am to 10 pm, and Saturday work 9 am to 5 pm.