At least 60 structures along Second Avenue in Manhattan need work so they do not become a danger to the public, according to the MTA, which is building a new subway line on the avenue, a report today by Jeremy Smerd at crains.com maintains.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is working to shore up two buildings near a new 96th Street station that are leaning as far as 18 inches off their center, the article maintained, adding that "Workers have installed internal tension wires and external trusses to keep the buildings at 1766-1768 and 1873 Second Ave. from toppling over."
Elsewhere along Second Avenue, workers are setting up scaffolding to protect passersby from falling bricks and keystones, the article continued.
The article said that in addition to the 60 that need work, the "MTA is evaluating more than 100 other sites between 96th and 63rd streets to determine whether they will need to be repaired," adding that "The city's Department of Buildings is overseeing the repair work."
"Authorities said the damage to the buildings was not caused by the massive construction project but noted that the buildings needed to be repaired in order for work on the new subway line to continue. Michael Horodniceanu, the president of MTA Capital Construction, said it was cheaper for the MTA to fix the buildings than to wait until the buildings' owners remedied the safety hazards," according to the article.
"These problems should have been addressed long ago," he said. But, he said, adding that "We do not have the luxury of waiting around until the buildings are fixed by the owner." "So far the bill for repairs is between $6 million and $8 million," the article maintained.
"By the end of June, the MTA says it plans to temporarily relocate residents from 28 apartments while repairs are underway. The relocation will last about a month," the article said.
MTA authorities said that the building repairs are not delaying the first phase the Second Avenue subway's construction and that "the $4.45 billion first phase of the project is expected to be complete by 2016."
The first phase is be an extension of the Q line from the west side to Second Avenue at 63rd Street and northward to 103rd Street. Passengers will then be able to transfer at 63rd Street and Lexington Avenue for service to Queens. New stations are to be constructed along Second Avenue at 72nd, 86th and 96th streets.
The MTA has not announced when it can finance the extension of the Second Avenue Subway to Lower Manhattan.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is working to shore up two buildings near a new 96th Street station that are leaning as far as 18 inches off their center, the article maintained, adding that "Workers have installed internal tension wires and external trusses to keep the buildings at 1766-1768 and 1873 Second Ave. from toppling over."
Elsewhere along Second Avenue, workers are setting up scaffolding to protect passersby from falling bricks and keystones, the article continued.
The article said that in addition to the 60 that need work, the "MTA is evaluating more than 100 other sites between 96th and 63rd streets to determine whether they will need to be repaired," adding that "The city's Department of Buildings is overseeing the repair work."
"Authorities said the damage to the buildings was not caused by the massive construction project but noted that the buildings needed to be repaired in order for work on the new subway line to continue. Michael Horodniceanu, the president of MTA Capital Construction, said it was cheaper for the MTA to fix the buildings than to wait until the buildings' owners remedied the safety hazards," according to the article.
"These problems should have been addressed long ago," he said. But, he said, adding that "We do not have the luxury of waiting around until the buildings are fixed by the owner." "So far the bill for repairs is between $6 million and $8 million," the article maintained.
"By the end of June, the MTA says it plans to temporarily relocate residents from 28 apartments while repairs are underway. The relocation will last about a month," the article said.
MTA authorities said that the building repairs are not delaying the first phase the Second Avenue subway's construction and that "the $4.45 billion first phase of the project is expected to be complete by 2016."
The first phase is be an extension of the Q line from the west side to Second Avenue at 63rd Street and northward to 103rd Street. Passengers will then be able to transfer at 63rd Street and Lexington Avenue for service to Queens. New stations are to be constructed along Second Avenue at 72nd, 86th and 96th streets.
The MTA has not announced when it can finance the extension of the Second Avenue Subway to Lower Manhattan.
Architecture Critic
Carter Horsley
Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.
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