East Houston Reconstruction Delayed Indefinitely, City Says
Still years behind schedule, the East Houston Reconstruction Project won’t be ending anytime soon. This despite the completion of the eastern leg as well as prior assurances to the contrary.
Earlier this summer, the expected completion date had been tagged as “by Labor Day,” according to the project bulletin board at Community Board 3. Labor Day has come and gone. When asked in July about the revised date, a spokesman from community liaison Dorne Edwards stated only that the street work would conclude in “September 2017.”
September has also come and gone.
And now the latest timetable is that there is no timetable. “The project is delayed due to utilities Con Ed/ESC, we are trying to complete A.S.A.P but unfortunately, I can not provide you with a completion date at this time,” another Dorne Edwards spokesperson told us.
As alluded to, there is still one major piece left for this nightmare to finally end. Putting that into perspective, if your child was born when this project started, he/she would be thirteen by now. Even though the Department of Design and Construction recently completed the block-long slate of upgrades between Chrystie Street/Second Avenue and the Bowery, the intersection of the Bowery is proving most stubborn.
The multimillion-dollar capital works initiative began on the west side of Manhattan back in 2004, and reached the Bowery roughly six years later in June 2010. This was the beginning of Phase II, initially slated to last only three years. Not surprisingly, the timetable was revised so many times it’s not even worth recounting the history. Through it all, businesses on these blocks suffered, from Russ & Daughters to Katz’s Deli (remember that epic water main break?), and Yonah Schimmel’s.
Recent Stories
Scenes from the Looted Streets of Downtown [PHOTOS]
A weekend of violent protests and looting – fueled by the death of George Floyd at the hand of Minneapolis cops – left downtown Manhattan charred and shattered. Businesses in SoHo up to Union Square were some of the hardest hit. Boogie contributor Eddie Panta was eyewitness to the smash-and-grab bedlam. Part I: The Nike Store […]
DIY Banner Hung Above FDR Drive in Tribute to George Floyd
Whenever an event of significance hits the news, neighbors can easily expect a new banner unfurled on the Delancey Street foot bridge over the FDR. Indeed, for the third time in as many months, a new message. “I can’t breathe,” a tribute to George Floyd, for whom these were final words. While being placed in […]
Despite Lockdown, ‘Bel-Fries’ Overcrowded Ludlow Street with a Major Party on Sunday
What lockdown? In Hell Square, it’s almost as if the last few months were in vain. Sunday afternoon saw an overflowing party for the opening Bel-Fries on Ludlow Street. It was seemingly planned for maximum marketing value, despite the COVID-19 lockdown. A “Miami style” event with luxury cars, deejay booth, professional photo rigs, and plenty […]
Aerial Photos Call into Question City’s Decision to Fully Demolish 70 Mulberry Street
On the evening of January 23, as Chinatown residents prepared for the Lunar New Year, a devastating five-alarm fire decimated the former PS23 at 70 Mulberry Street. Nearly five months later, many in the neighborhood continue to question the city’s choice to fully demolish the facility. Especially after the emergence of aerial photos showing the […]
‘La Flaca’ Looks Shuttered on Grand Street, but it’s Not [Updated]
The novel coronavirus continues to decimate both life and business at will. La Flaca, the nearly ten-year-old Mexican restaurant on Grand Street, appears closed for good. But it’s not. Branded signage fell from the corner establishment last month. Update: we previously reported that La Flaca closed for good, but ownership informed us that they plan […]
