From the latest Construction Update: not much new, but on southeast block, completion work at 595 Dean towers continues, as does plaza work outside

The latest Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Construction Update (bottom), covering the two weeks beginning Monday, May 15, was circulated at 2:16 pm yesterday (lead time) by Empire State Development (ESD) after preparation (presumably) by Greenland Forest City Partners (GFCP), which is dominated by Greenland USA.

Again 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.

Remember: such work had been teased as starting last May, but a in March they finally confirmed it wasn't happening. 

That suggests that Greenland USA, having lost its Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park point man (with no replacement) 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, in red, does indicate new and completed work at the B12/B13 site, 595 Dean Street, two towers said by developer TF Cornerstone to already be open.

Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire Protection and Electrical punch list work is ongoing, as is LEED Commissioning and start-up of (unspecified) equipment. Punch list work for apartments continues.

Architectural woodwork and installation of benches for plaza area are expected to be completed during this period, while tree planting on Dean Street has been completed.

Site improvements and landscaping subcontractor work, as well as planting work, continue.

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, though previous variances were from 9 am to 5:30 pm, a small but not insignificant persistent inaccuracy. No one proofreads this stuff.