From the latest Construction Update: not much new, but on Dean Street (southeast block), Con Ed work to be completed, tree planting still awaits

The latest Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Construction Update (bottom), covering the two weeks beginning Monday, April 17, was circulated at 4:26 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 a month 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 new and/upcoming work at the B12/B13 site, 595 Dean Street, two towers said to already be open.

While sidewalk and curb restoration work along Dean Street has completed, planting of trees on Dean Street--as signaled two weeks ago--remains to be scheduled, pending issuance of a NYC Parks Department permit.

Utility Con Edison is expected to complete installation of all interconnection feeder cables between vaults within these two weeks. Parking on Dean St. in front of the East Vault may be reduced by approximately five to six parking spaces while Con Ed completes the work.

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 for that time 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." No variance has been listed since 4/1/23, two weeks ago, though previous variance were from 9 am to 5:30 pm, a small but not insignificant persistent inaccuracy.