WORRIES OVER COLUMBUS SQ. CONSTRUCTION
Park West Village residents near the Columbus Square development met with Department of Buildings officials earlier this month to discuss safety in the area.
The Dec. 3 meeting, held at Second Presbyterian Church on Central Park West and West 96th Street, was organized after an Oct. 8 crane malfunction caused a counterweight to crash through a pedestrian sidewalk. There were no fatalities or injuries, but the crane accident rankled residents who were already angered by the history of safety incidents at the West 97th Street development.
“How can we be sure construction will be safe for residents in surrounding communities?” said Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito, who co-hosted the event. “This is an opportunity to have a dialogue.”
The buildings department officials told the crowd of 50 that two more cranes will be used in construction of Columbus Square, at 795 and 805 Columbus Ave.
To protect against future accidents, Donald Ranshte, director of comm-unity affairs at the Department of Buildings, said that pedestrians need to be prohibited from using the walkway while a crane is hoisting a load. Though there are flagmen on construction sites to keep pedestrians out of harm’s way, Ranshte told the crowd to report unsafe situations.
“We like to try and enforce it, but if you see it, you might want to call 311,” Ranshte said.
One resident asked about crane inspections to prevent future accidents. But Michael Alacha, assistant commissioner for engineering and emergency operations, noted that there are annual inspections and daily maintenance.
“Mechanical failure could not have been predicted,” Alacha said.
Paul Bunten, head of the community group Westsiders for Public Participation, felt that nearby residents are not equipped to enforce the law and said he was still concerned about the construction site.
“We still don’t have a solution from this meeting,” Bunten said afterward.
TRADER JOE’S COMING
First Whole Foods set up shop in Columbus Square. Now, Trader Joe’s is coming to the Upper West Side.
The specialty food store is planning to open on West 72nd Street and Broadway sometime in 2010.
Trader Joe’s is keeping a tight lid on additional details, such as size of the store or the exact opening date.
This will be the second Trader Joe’s in Manhattan, after the store’s Union Square location. But unlike the Union Square counterpart, the Upper West Side Trader Joe’s will not have a wine shop next door. Under New York State’s antiquated liquor laws, only one license can be given to any business or person.
Crane Crushes Sidewalk Shed
A crane accident on the afternoon of Oct. 8 partly crushed scaffolding that covers a pedestrian walkway at the northeast corner of Columbus Avenue and West 97th Street.
Department of Buildings spokesperson Ryan Fitzgibbon said it was not a major accident and there were no reported injuries. The incident occurred, she said, as workers were dismantling the crane, at 775 Columbus Ave., and a counterweight fell, damaging the sidewalk shed. The 13-story, mixed-use building was under construction and is stable, according to Fitzgibbon.
Columbus Sq. Labor Fracas
Rats and pigs are the newest tenants of the Columbus Square rental complex, along Columbus Avenue in the upper West 90s. The giant inflatable rodent, which at press time had been replaced with a cigar-smoking pig, are both the handiwork of local labor unions protesting the switch to non-union workers at the construction site. Co-developers the Chetrit Group and Stellar Management made the change at the beginning of July. Read more
MANDELL SCHOOL GETS NEW SPACE
The Mandell School is set to construct a new 50,000-square-foot addition to its facilities in Columbus Square, a new development between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues and West 97th and 100th streets. The school facility, scheduled to be finished by September 2010, will be housed in a new 15-story apartment building.
With the space yet to be constructed, the design will be crafted around the school’s needs. The project will be developed by Aragorn Construction.
“It’s unusual in New York City to be able to build a school to cater to your curriculum instead of changing your curriculum because of the school’s facilities,” said Gabriella Rowe, head of The Mandell School.
In addition to being modernized, Mandell plans to make the facility eco-friendly. Rubber floors from recycled tires, energy efficient lighting and even a vertical garden wall plan are to be included in the construction.
