From the latest Construction Update: not much new, but Dean Street sidewalk work complete outside 595 Dean complex, awaits tree planting

The latest Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Construction Update (bottom), covering the two weeks beginning Monday, April 3, was circulated at 4:09 pm Friday (lead time) by Empire State Development (ESD) after preparation by Greenland Forest City Partners (GFCP), which is dominated by Greenland USA.

There's little change, compared with the previous update, though the document again confirms that there are no construction activities planned for the crucial first block of the platform over the Vanderbilt Yard, which would support three towers.

Such work had been teased as starting last May, but two weeks ago they finally confirmed it wasn't happening. That suggests that Greenland USA, having lost its Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park point man and with no chance of meeting the May 2025 affordable housing deadline, with at least 876 units due, is renegotiating and reconsidering the project.

They don't want to pay the $2,000/month fine for each missing unit. The question, then, is whether Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration and the gubernatorially-controlled ESD will negotiate in secret.

On the southeast block, progress

The new document does indicate (in red text, at bottom) new work at the B12/B13 site, 595 Dean Street, two towers scheduled to start opening in May:

While sidewalk and curb restoration work along Dean Street has completed, planting of trees on Dean Street will be scheduled pending issuance of a NYC Parks Department permit.

Also, the scaffold drops for façade work have been completed.

After-hours work 

Regarding after-hours work at the B12/B13 site, the document says there's a variance for work to start at 6 am on weekdays. No such variances have been listed since mid-February, which suggests they're getting closer to completion.

It also says "Saturday work from 9 AM – 5 PM will continue." However, the variance for yesterday, as in the past months, was from 9 am to 5:30 pm. (No future variances are yet listed.)

That, as I've noted, continues a pattern, which suggests that GFCP and site developer TF Cornerstone just don't care about getting it right. Nor does the state authority ESD.