What Are Those Big Cranes & Barges In East River Close To Roosevelt Island Buildings Asks Resident?

The Roosevelt Island Twitterverse asked today about the big barges and cranes that have been in place for about the last week:

Here are @EDCNYC barges & big cranes in E.R. next to R.I. bldg. #NYPD @FDNY @Rooseveltisland @NYCferry Why are they here? Unsafe eyesores. pic.twitter.com/p2KsxpMSCf

— AJB Communications (@ajbcomms) August 29, 2017

Why are there now 2 @EDCNYC barges & big cranes in E. River next to RI apt bldg? Dangerous eyesores. #NYPD @FDNY @RooseveltIsland @NYCferry

— AJB Communications (@ajbcomms) August 29, 2017

And the answer is:

Finishing touches on the new RI landing. The barges and cranes will be removed shortly.

— NYC Ferry (@NYCferry) August 29, 2017

Residents Spot Large Barge And Crane In East River Next To Roosevelt Island Southtown Riverwalk Buildings - Ask What Is Going On?

Residents spotted a huge crane mounted on a barge in the East River (Queens side) adjacent to Roosevelt Island's Souththown Riverwalk buildings

today with plenty of workers in construction hard hats and yellow vests

nearby.

What was going on? Some thought it might be fixing Hurricane Sandy damage,

@Rooseveltisland huge crane on river outside 480 main fixing sandy damage on walkway Umm...4 yrs later? @ajbcomms pic.twitter.com/mKhmFVMle9

— Adriana Davis (@adriananyc) November 1, 2016

the beginning of work on the Roosevelt Island East River Ferry Dock or start of construction on new Riverwalk building 8.

I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Susan Rosenthal what was going on. Ms Rosenthal provided the answer:

New York City Transit and its sub-contractor Simpson & Brown are replacing anodes on the East Side of Roosevelt Island bulkhead to protect the steel shell of the 63rd St tunnel.

They have a permit from RIOC.

Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Community Update Town Hall Meeting - Presentation of Academic Program, Community Commitments, PS/IS 217 Assistance, Construction Status, Roll On Roll Off Barging & More

Images From Cornell Tech October 1 Roosevelt Island Presentation

Cornell Tech and the Roosevelt Island Construction & Community Task Force held a Town Hall Community Update on Thursday, October 1.

Images From Cornell Tech October 1 Roosevelt Island Presentation

Here's what happened.

It began with a presentation on the Cornell Tech innovative academic program by Dean Doug Stayman.

Cornell Tech Academic Program

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer described how her interest in the NYC Tech Scene began. She recounted the fight between former NYC Council Member Christine Quinn and Council Member Bill deBlasio (now the Mayor) for NYC Council Speaker. Ms. Brewer supported Mr. deBlasio, he lost, resulting in Ms Brewer appointed to the Technology Committee by Speaker Quinn, which at the time was a terrible committee to be on. Times have changed.



Cornell Tech's Jane Swanson reviewed the progress made on commitments made by Cornell Tech to the Roosevelt Island community.

Cornell Tech Roosevelt Island Committments

READ MORE


Roosevelt Island's NYC Council Member Ben Kallos addressed the Town Hall meeting.



Cornell Tech Director of K-12 Education Diane Levitt talks about the education commitment made to NYC students including Roosevelt Island PS/IS 217.

Cornell Tech Education Committments Diane Levitt

Cornell Tech Director of Capital Planning Andrew Winters describes the Roosevelt Island campus plan and current status of construction including use of Roll On Roll Off Barging.

Cornell Tech Campus Plans Presentation Andrew Winters

Finally questions and comments from residents including:

• Proposed LIC real estate development that includes pedestrian bridge connecting Roosevelt Island to LIC,
• Safety issues caused by construction trucks speeding on Roosevelt Island's Main Street,
• Air quality monitoring,
• No AVAC Garbage Removal planned for campus
• Funding source assistance for Roosevelt Island organizations

The last speaker was Roosevelt Island Community Coalition (RICC) Co-Chair Ellen Polivy. Ms. Polivy  thanked Cornell Tech for addressing and meeting the requests from the Roosevelt Island community.

You're invited to Cornell Tech Roosevelt Island Town Hall Community Update October 1 - Report On Construction, Barging, Truck Traffic, Hearing Technology & More, Come Ask Your Questions

Image Of Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Construction Site

Cornell Tech and the Roosevelt Island Construction & Community Task Force will be holding a Town Hall Community Update tomorrow, October 1, at the Manhattan Park Theater Club (8 River Road) starting at 6 PM.

Things are happening on Roosevelt Island. 1st steel column of the Bloomberg Center is set! http://t.co/uPb9r594Sz pic.twitter.com/mTo8uP876C

— Cornell Tech (@cornell_tech) September 23, 2015

A Cornell Tech Spokesperson reports:

... in June Cornell Tech announced a $100 million gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies to fund construction of the campus. The first academic building on the campus was named The Bloomberg Center – in honor of Emma and Georgina Bloomberg. The Bloomberg Center, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis Architects, is a departure from traditional academic facilities with an open plan and extensive collaborative as well as private work spaces, adapting open plan offices from the tech world to the academic arena. Cornell is aspiring for the building to be among the largest net-zero energy buildings in the United States, with all of its power generated on campus.

adding:

Original commitment:

During ULURP, Cornell committed to:

• “reduce the number of construction vehicles along Main Street by approximately 40% from the numbers included in the EIS for the project.” (source: Letter to Council-member Jessica Lappin dated May 2, 2013)

Special commitments include:

• “Building Material not re-used on the Project Site will be removed by barge" -- All waste during demolition was removed by barge.
• “Nearly all bulk materials will be delivered and removed by barge” -- Delivery of bulk materials will be needed in 2016.
• “Heavy materials such as steel, curtain wall, and large equipment will also be delivered by barge" -- Steel deliveries for the Bloomberg Center to start in late September 2015, followed shortly thereafter by steel for the Bridge. Curtain wall deliveries for both buildings will start in late winter/spring 2016.

Images From Cornell Tech

Barging system:

• To facilitate deliveries of construction equipment and materials, a Roll-On/Roll-Off (Ro/Ro) barge and ramp system will be installed along the East Loop Road, approximately 725 feet south of the North Loop Road. Trucks will be able to drive directly onto a barge, travel to Roosevelt Island, and drive off. This is a different type of barging operation compared to the demolition barging operation, where containers of material were picked up by a crane and deposited onto the deck of a barge.
• Each barge can hold 4-10 trucks depending on the size of the truck and trailer (large tractor trailers of steel and façade panels vs. smaller box trucks).
• The system will be capable of handling up to three barge deliveries as part of a normal work day.
• The majority of deliveries can be made regardless of tides. The use of some trucks with particularly low clearances will require careful coordination, delivering within 2 hours before or after high tide.
• Generally speaking, barges with materials/equipment will arrive to Roosevelt Island around 7 a.m. to coincide with the start of the workday. There is an emphasis on early morning barge deliveries to reduce early morning traffic peaks.

Truck Targets:

• Approximately 6,350 trucks were eliminated through demolition barging operations, with 100% of demolition waste removed from Roosevelt Island by barge.
• As part of the new Roll-On/Roll-Off operation, a reduction of an additional 2,000 trucks is being targeted.

Schedule:

• Now that all projects are well underway, construction activity will start to increase in October 2015.
• Barging will begin in September in advance of the anticipated increase in deliveries in October 2015 so as to limit the burden on Main Street.

During July 20 Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Construction & Community Task Force meeting, Cornell Tech Director Of Capital Planning Andrew Winters described

Image Of Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Roll On Roll Off Barge

the roll on roll off barging process.



Also, Mr Winters discussed plans for hearing impaired technology to be utilized on the Cornell Tech campus using an Infrared System, not the Looping technology which had been advocated by members of the Roosevelt Island community.



Here's what happened at the June 16 groundbreaking ceremony for Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech campus.

Come to the Town Hall meeting tomorrow to learn what is going on and ask your questions.

UPDATE 10/1 - According to the Cornell Tech Roosevelt Island Campus Project Construction Update:

September 28 - October 9 Look Ahead

Roadwork and Central Utility Plant – Underground utilities, including street tie-ins for the Central Utility Building will be completed in this period. Backfilling in preparation for the concrete slab on grade will be finalized leading up to the pouring of the slab on grade in the 2nd/3rd week of October. Utility installation continues in the southern section of the East Loop Road. At the North Loop Road, conduit will be installed for future Verizon service to Sports Park. Additionally at North Loop Road, all at grade utility access ports are being raised and building utility connections backfilled in preparation for asphalt base course which will be installed in the second week of this period. Construction Fence re-location is underway along the West Loop Road. Fence is being moved from the east side of the road to the west and is leading up to the closing the road to traffic in the middle of October. Authorized southbound traffic will be accommodated on the East Loop Road when the West Loop Road is closed.

Co-Location Building – The foundation is nearing completion and should be achieved by the end of this period. Underground utilities and street connections are ongoing and being coordinated with work along East Loop Road.

Residential Building – Utility connections in the street should be finalized by the second week of this period. The concrete slab on grade will be poured by the second week of October. The tower crane will be erected and first floor column forming will begin in the beginning of the next period.

Bloomberg Center – Erection of steel continues and will be supplemented with the mobilization of a second crane within this period. Pile caps are being finalized on the east side of the building. Steel clips and angles are being installed around the perimeter foundation in preparation for floor deck tie-ins.

Barge Operation – Barging is underway and deliveries have begun to feed projects on site. Enforced waterway restrictions will limit deliveries in the beginning of this period

Cornell Tech Roosevelt Island Construction Update, Academic Building Excavation Begins - Demolition, Abatement, Barging, Trucks, Air Quality And More

 Image Of April 1 Cornell Tech Roosevelt Island Campus Construction Site

Here's the latest

Image From Rosanna Ceruzzi

on the demolition of Roosevelt Island's

Image From Rosanna Ceruzzi

Goldwater Hospital

Image From Rosanna Ceruzzi

to make way

Image From Rosanna Ceruzzi

for the new Cornell Tech campus.

According to the Cornell NYC Tech Roosevelt Island construction update:

March 20 - April 3 Look Ahead

Demolition work continues in the Phase II area. Building E is progressing with approximately 10% of the building rubble to still be sorted. Once completed early the week of March 23rd, foundation removal will begin, working from the north to the south.

Building A is in the final stages of backfill and grading. The building will be complete early in the week of March 23rd.

Once Building A is finished, equipment will move to Building B. As with the other buildings, balcony and window removal must occur prior to any façade removal. This work is scheduled to take place during the week of March 30th.

In terms of sitework, Cornell has completed the installation of the new water main and utility ductbank. Con Edison crews will continue to work within and around the Cornell site as they finish splicing cables. Excavation has begun on the First Academic Building (FAB) and Central Utility Plant (CUP) in the Phase I area.

Below is Cornell NYC Tech March 2 presentation (PDF Format) to the Roosevelt Island Community and Construction Task Force

Cornell Tech March 2 Update


and video.

Part 1. Cornell Tech Director of Capital Planning Andrew Winters provides an overview of the demolition and abatement work..



Part 2. Utility and Site Work described by Tishman's John DiCapua.



Part 3. Excavation of first academic building described by Tom LePage of Barr & Barr.



Part 4. Barging, Trucking of materials and air quality described by Andrew Winters.





Part 5. Questions on Air Quality, Helix Repair, High Pressure Gas Lines, emergency access, coordinating concrete pouring trucks and more.



The next meeting of the Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Community and Construction Task Force is April 27. The meetings are open to the public.

2014 Year End Report From NYC Council Member Ben Kallos - Living And Breathing Roosevelt Island Every Single Day Says Mr. Kallos

Roosevelt Island and Upper East Side

Image Of NYC Council District 5 Including Roosevelt Island From Ben Kallos

NYC Council Member (CM) Ben Kallos reported December 23 on the end of his first year serving as our CM.
 

Image From Ben Kallos

According to Mr. Kallos:

It has been one year since I began serving as your City Council Member. I am deeply proud of the work we have done together and excited for the road ahead. Though there certainly have been difficult times, especially in recent days and months, it is time for our city to come together in mourning of those we have lost and with resolve to move forward.

I look forward to meeting you at an upcoming event--or perhaps my holiday party tonight, 12/23, from 4-7p.m. at my District Office at 244 East 93rd Street. You can RSVP at BenKallos.com/Events.

If you would like to compare my goals with actions over the past year, please have a look at my 2013 Policy Book. I am proud of these achievements--but I know there's much, much more to do. Thank you for your support this year. I am looking forward to the next three.

Sincerely,

Ben Kallos


Year One: By the Numbers

Residents served: More than 1,000
Legislation Passed: 3 bills and 2 resolutions
Land use matters: 2, with both passing
City Council attendance: 100 Percent (perfect attendance)
Governmental Operations Committee Hearing chaired: 14
Laws passed through committee: 7 Bills and 2 Resolutions
First Fridays and policy nights: Nearly 20
Funding Secured for East River Esplanade: $35 Million
Community Meetings: More than 100
Money allocated to projects the community voted on through participatory budgeting: $2.7 million

Table Of Contents

1. Fighting the Marine Transfer Station
2. Safer Streets
3. Revitalizing the East River Esplanade
4. Supporting Education
5. Affordable Housing
6. Healthier Communities
7. Open Office
8. Government Reform
9. City Council Rules Reform
10. Participatory Budgeting
12. Technology
12. Improving Elections
13. Starting off and Moving Forward

Mr. Kallos spoke at the December 8 Cornell Tech Roosevelt Island Town Hall meeting. He discussed accessibility for hearing impaired at public meetings, new Roosevelt Island NYC Public Library visioning session, $1 million Participatory Budgeting process, Cornell Tech construction barging and constituent services.



Mr. Kallos has mobile Roosevelt Island constituent service office hours on the 4th Wednesday of every month from 4-7 PM at the Roosevelt Island Seniors Center (546 Main Street) and his Roosevelt Island Director, resident Joe Strong, can be stopped on the street to discuss issues as well.

Mr. Kallos ended his remarks at the Cornell Tech Town Hall meeting saying:

... by having someone on Roosevelt Island, we make sure every single day, morning, evening, afternoon, we're living and breathing Roosevelt Island.

More information about NYC Council Member Ben Kallos is available at his web site.

Cornell Tech Roosevelt Island Community Update - Demolition, Construction, Air Quality, Barging, PS/IS 217 & Community Communcations

Image From Future Cornell Campus

With the departure of former Cornell Tech Vice President Cathy Dove to a new position as President of the Paul Smith's College, the Roosevelt Island Community Report Ms. Dove wrote will now be an update provided by Cornell Tech.

Updates from Cornell Tech

Cornell Tech hosted a Town Hall meeting on Monday, December 8 to provide updates on construction and community initiatives as the campus development continues to take shape:

Construction updates from the Town Hall:

• Cornell began demolition of the former Goldwater Hospital buildings last winter and will soon enter the first phase of construction for the campus.
• Demolition of Phase 1 of the campus design will be completed by December 31, with Phase 2 demolition underway and expected to be completed by June 2015.
• Cornell is working with Barr & Barr to construct the First Academic Building, a NYC-based firm with a track record of quality work and a reputation for deep community engagement. Their experience with university projects includes Princeton University and Syracuse University.
• Roux Associates, an environmental consulting firm, reaffirmed Cornell Tech’s commitment to monitoring air quality during the construction process. Cornell is applying several proactive controls to reduce emissions, including:
• Reducing of diesel equipment
• Using ultra low sulfur diesel fuels
• Limiting construction equipment idle time
• Using equipment that meets the latest federal emission standards
• As of December 1, Cornell has moved approximately 10,200 tons of waste by barge, avoiding approximately 4,800-5,150 truck trips.
• For more information, visit construction.tech.cornell.edu. Please note we have a new section of the website for photos of the construction site and we will add photos to it on a monthly basis.

K-12 updates from the Town Hall:

• Diane Levitt, Cornell Tech’s K-12 Director, provided details on Cornell Tech’s continued support of education initiatives on Roosevelt Island. Cornell Tech is deeply engaged with PS/IS 217 and is committed to:
• Helping with teacher training and support
• Science, engineering, technology and mathematics education initiatives
• After-school programming
• Tech events
• Hardware and software programming development
• Cornell Tech has been involved in teacher training and curriculum development to help students understand computing and computational thinking. As a result, there is a coding class happening at the middle school, one period a week, where students learn critical computing skills.
• Cornell Tech has monthly meetings with Principal Beckman and her staff, and we are working to organize a Middle School Hackathon for Spring 2015.
• Cornell Tech looks forward to supporting two teams in the Continental Mathematics League computer science competition in early 2015.

As a reminder, Jane Swanson, Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations at Cornell Tech, is at Gallery RIVAA, 527 Main Street, every Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4 p.m. Everyone is welcome to visit and chat with Jane to learn more about Cornell Tech’s plans.

Cornell Tech Roosevelt Island Community Update - December 8 Town Hall Meeting, New President Elizabeth Garrett Visits, Barging, Saving Trees, Goldwater Murals Restoration & More

New Cornell President Elizabeth Garrett With Cornell Tech's Dan Huttenlocher and Andrew Winters Visits Roosevelt Island Oct 13

With the departure of former Cornell Tech Vice President Cathy Dove to a new position as President of the Paul Smith's College, the Roosevelt Island Community Report Ms. Dove wrote will now be an update provided by Cornell Tech.

Updates from Cornell Tech

As many of you already know, Cornell Tech opened a community space at Gallery RIVAA at 527 Main Street in September. Jane Swanson, Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations at Cornell Tech, is on site every Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4 p.m. Cornell Tech plans to bring its vision and its interplay of technology and creativity to the wider community through the space, and to host programming from the larger Cornell University community. Cornell Tech encourages everyone to stop by Gallery RIVAA to learn about the campus and see the amazing works of art on view at the gallery.

Other recent and upcoming Cornell Tech news:

Community: Cornell Tech volunteers participated in last month’s “Fall for Arts” Festival and Halloween parade.

Updates from the Cornell Tech Community and Construction Task force meeting:

• Cornell Tech has avoided 3,350 truck trips through our use of barging, and that number is growing every week.
• Cornell Tech continued the community conversation about tree conservation, which Cornell Tech is committed to. Cornell Tech and its engineer presented some modified designs and walked the task force through each configuration as they relate to pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular traffic. Cornell Tech will continue to keep the task force updated as we work together to strike a balance between tree conservation, safety and the need to provide robust infrastructure to support the site.
• Cornell Tech showed images of the historic murals uncovered at Goldwater hospital that are currently being restored at two conservation studios. The murals will eventually be displayed on Cornell Tech’s campus.
• Cornell Tech continues to work with PS/IS 217, including after school programs on computational literacy.

Town Hall: Join Cornell Tech for a town hall meeting on December 8, 6 p.m. at Manhattan Park Community Center, 8 River Road.

Updates from Cornell Tech’s temporary campus at Google:

• More than 100 students are enrolled in three masters and PhD programs.
• Four new faculty members have joined the campus.
• The incoming new President of Cornell University, Elizabeth Garrett, has already visited Cornell Tech and Roosevelt Island. Ms. Garrett assumes the presidency on July 1, 2015. Cornell’s current President, David Skorton, will become the new Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute.

For more information, visit construction.tech.cornell.edu.

Last Report From Cornell NYC Tech VP Cathy Dove - Introduces K-12 Education Director Diane Levitt, Community Engagement, Barging And Demolition & Says Goodbye To Roosevelt Island

 Image OF Cathy Dove Waving At 2014 Roosevelt Island Day

As previously reported, Cornell NYC Tech Vice President Cathy Dove

 Cornell VP Cathy Dove and President David Skorton Before April 2012 Roosevelt Island Town Hall Meeting

is leaving Cornell and Roosevelt Island to become President of Paul Smith's College. Below is her final report to the Roosevelt Island community:

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer! At Cornell Tech, we have had several great community meetings since we last checked in, most recently at our Cornell Tech Community and Construction Task Force meeting.

At the task force meeting, we were very pleased to introduce everyone to Cornell Tech’s Director of K-12 Education, Diane Levitt. Diane has great experience with K-12, and already is already making an impact at Cornell Tech and in the broader NYC educational community. Prior to joining Cornell Tech, Diane was the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility for Belkin, the global consumer electronics organization. She managed the company’s philanthropy, community engagement, employee volunteerism, and served as an advisor to the Chairman and CEO. She helped develop Belkin Education, products designed to maximize the learning opportunities technology offers and was deeply engaged in supporting the growth of high-achieving schools for low-income students in Los Angeles, including several STEM schools.

In the United States, there are 1.4 million computing jobs, yet only 400,000 computer science students. Implementing computer science programs in our schools is critical to our city and country’s future. Diane has been working closely with the principal, teachers and PTA at PS/IS 217 to identify programs that will enhance computational literacy learning in middle-school classrooms, to help students gain an understanding of software and hardware. This summer, a middle school math teacher is attending professional development on Bootstrap, a curricular module that teaches algebra and geometry concepts through computer programming. Diane is also working with the school to identify a coding/computational thinking curriculum for students, and looking for great tech-rich afterschool options for The Beacon Program. We hope to test new computing curriculum and professional development with PS/IS 217 teachers and students during the 2014-15 school year.

Cornell Tech and several of other Cornell organizations were pleased to participate in this year’s Roosevelt Island Day, I know we join many Islanders in thanking Urban American, RIOC and the many Roosevelt Island organizations and businesses who contributed to this day and made it so special. Everyone had something unique to offer the day. Among the many healthy food and fitness activities was the “smoothie bike” that Cornell University Cooperative Extension 4-Hers demonstrated – energy expended by the rider runs a blender that makes a smoothie. Participants got a little exercise and were immediately rewarded with a smoothie of their own making! It was amazing to see such enthusiasm among young and old alike who walked away wearing Cornell Tech pedometers and counting their steps to a healthier life. And I was one of many who took a lesson in hands-only CPR, sponsored by Weill Cornell’s Clinical and Translational Science Center and the Perelman Heart Institute. More than 100 people were trained in this life-saving technique. Hats off to the American Heart Association and the Roosevelt Island CERT organization for coordinating so much of this effort.

As demolition on the campus is well underway, I wanted to provide an update on our barging efforts. As you know, at the beginning of the year we launched the largest voluntary barging operation in New York City. I’m sure many of you have seen the barge arriving at and leaving the island, located on the east side of the construction site. I am very happy to report that through our aggressive use of barging, we have avoided over 1,500 truck trips to-date, and that number is growing every week.

Finally, on a personal note, it is with mixed emotions that I inform you that this will be my last column. Recently I accepted a position as president of Paul Smith’s College located close to Lake Placid in Upstate New York. I treasure the friendships I have made on Roosevelt Island, and will miss living here. But I’m not worried about our campus development - we have a wonderful team who is fully committed to Cornell Tech being a great addition to the Island. I will be watching their progress, and keeping abreast of all the Roosevelt Island news from afar. Many thanks to all of you for making me feel so welcome, and please look me up if you are ever in the beautiful Adirondack region.

During July 28 meeting of Roosevelt Island Cornell Construction & Community Task Force, Cornell NYC Tech Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations Jane Swanson reviewed Cornell's Roosevelt Island community engagement this summer. Here's what Ms. Swanson said.



During the same meeting, Cornell NYC Tech Director of Capital Planning Andrew Winters provided an update on the barging operation for the campus demolition



and construction.

Large Crane Transported By East River Barge For Construction Of Hudson Related Southtown 266 Unit Market Rate Rental Riverwalk Building 7 - Crane Too Heavy For Roosevelt Island Bridge Helix

A large barge pulled up aside Roosevelt Island's Southtown Riverwalk Buildiing 7 construction site this morning.

Image From RI On Crackberry

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

On Friday, June 13 from 7 AM until 12 PM, a large crane will be transported by barge to the Riverwalk Building 7 construction site. During this time, a section of the East Promenade to the west of the site will be closed to the public. Flag persons will be posted onsite to direct pedestrian traffic.

The crane

was lifted from the barge

and deposited inside the construction site.

As Hudson Related's Sara Willard explains:

The crane is for our superstructure/concrete contractors to complete the remaining floors at the building.  We are currently on floor 14.  We project to "top out" the floors in late July, by which the barge will be back to pick-up the crane.

After delivery of the crane, the barge headed back south on the East River passing underneath

the Queensboro Bridge.

The Crane was barged because it was too heavy to be transported over the Roosevelt Island Bridge.

On March 3, 2014 the Riverwalk Building 7 construction site was only a hole in the ground.

Image Of Roosevelt Island Riverwalk Building 7 Construction Site March 3

More on Roosevelt Island's Riverwalk 266 unit market rate rental Building 7 from previous post.

Roosevelt Island Cornell NYC Tech Campus Construction Update - Interior Demolition/Abatement Of Goldwater Hospital Continues, New Barging Operator Removing Waste/Delivering Empty Containers, Weather Conditions/Wind Patterns To Be Analyzed And Air Quality Monitoring Results

Here's the most recent Cornell NYC Tech Construction Update describing the demolition of Goldwater Hospital.

Image Of Roosevelt Island's Goldwater Hospital Building C Demolition Area

According to Cornell NYC Tech Construction Update:

June 6 - June 20 Look Ahead

Interior demolition and interior abatement are progressing well across the site. Interior demolition is complete in all but two buildings (Building B and E). The interior abatement crews are currently spread across four buildings. They have completed the abatement work on the Building C roof. The regulatory agencies that are involved in the project have requested that the contractor perform some additional work at this time in advance of structural demolition. As a result, small crews have remobilized and returned to Phase 1 (Building D and F).

The weather station has been removed from the roof of Building J. Consultants will soon begin to analyze the data to develop a comprehensive understanding of weather conditions and wind patterns at the site.

The transition to the new barging operator has been seamless. They have successfully made multiple trips to Roosevelt Island to remove waste and deliver empty containers. The next barge trip will likely take place late in the week of June 9th.

I asked Cornell NYC Tech Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations Jane Swanson:

Can you provide more specific reasons for the additional abatement work required by regulatory agencies that is referenced in Cornell Construction update....

Ms. Swanson replied:

There is a layer of asbestos-containing mastic on the inside face of the exterior masonry walls. We removed it safely in Building C, but left it intact in Buildings D and F, as we were considering an abatement methodology that included removing it as part of the exterior wall structural demolition. At this time, however, we have proposed an abatement methodology that requires removal of the mastic prior to structural demolition, so we intend to re-enter Buildings D and F to complete the removal of this interior mastic.

Also, the most recent air quality monitoring data from Cornell NYC Tech at the Goldwater Hospital site.

Air Quality Action Levels
Background corrected particulate concentration data from the site is compared to particulate action levels. This correction is calculated by subtracting the upwind concentration from the downwind concentration and provides the concentration of particulates being generated by site activities. The specific action levels and their response are as follows

Inclement Weather
Monitoring is not conducted during rain events as precipitation acts as a natural suppressant and prevents the migration of particulates. In addition, moisture can impact the accuracy of the data from the monitors.

More on the Cornell NYC Tech demolition and abatement process, including video describing plan in great detail, from this previous post.

Roosevelt Island Cornell NYC Tech Campus Construction Update - Barge Returns, Trucking Stops, Phase 1 Interior Demolition And Abatement Completed, Phase 2 Starting

Reported May 10:

A recent fire destroyed the marine facility in New Jersey that was receiving barges from the Cornell Tech site. The fire was unrelated to the Cornell Tech Activities. Efforts are underway to locate a new facility, but in the interim, a small number of trucks will be required to deliver empty containers to the site next week....

Image Of Cornell Construction Barge Return May 22

According to this May 22 Cornell NYC Tech Construction Update a new barge receiving facility has been found.

May 26 - June 6 Look Ahead

Interior demolition and abatement is now complete in all Phase 1 buildings (buildings C, D, F, and H in the northern region). The roof of building C is currently undergoing abatement and the work is expected to be complete the week of May 26th. Two additional buildings also require roof abatement but the exact timing of this work has not been finalized.

Interior demolition will be complete in buildings A. G and J to the south (Phase 2 buildings) within the coming two weeks. Once this work is finished, interior abatement will begin in these buildings.

The barge is back and will remain on-site into the week of May 26th. Unfortunately, the previous barging company suffered a fire at its docking facility in Keasbey, New Jersey, essentially shutting down operations. A new barging operator has been identified and containers will now be barged to Bayonne, New Jersey. From there, the containers will be transported by truck to Pennsylvania, Ohio, or elsewhere in New Jersey depending on the type of construction waste being transported.

Fire At New Jersey Marine Facility Receiving Cornell NYC Tech Barges From Roosevelt Island Goldwater Demolition Results In Truck Deliveries May 12,13 & 14 Evening - RI Bridge Helix Will Be Closed For Brief Period Says RIOC

View Larger Map

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

A recent fire destroyed the marine facility in New Jersey that was receiving barges from the Cornell Tech site. The fire was unrelated to the Cornell Tech Activities. Efforts are underway to locate a new facility, but in the interim, a small number of trucks will be required to deliver empty containers to the site next week. On Monday May 12, Tuesday May 13, and Wednesday May 14, at some point between the hours of 8 p.m and 10 p.m, trucks will be escorted over the helix by the RIOC Public Safety Department and led to the construction site, requiring brief closures of the helix. No more than five trucks will arrive on the island on any night. This is expected to be a one-time solution due to these unexpected circumstances. Please note that this advisory only pertains to empty containers. Any containers containing materials from the site will continue to be shipped off the island by barge. Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Advisories Group

Also, here's the Cornell NYC Tech Construction Update:

May 9 - May 23 Look Ahead

Interior demolition is fully complete in all Phase 1 buildings (the northern portion of site). Interior abatement is ongoing, although this work is fully complete in building C. The work zone has expanded into Phase 2 buildings (the southern portion of site), with interior demolition starting in buildings A and B.

The art conservation firms have successfully removed the three WPA murals from Goldwater Hospital. They have fully demobilized and vacated the site. The murals are now going to the firms’ art studios in Manhattan for a more thorough assessment of canvas and paint conditions, to be followed by conservation work.

Data from the Community Air Monitoring Program has been shared on the construction website. Daily average and daily maximum particulate concentrations are included, along with action levels.

Report From Cornell NYC Tech Vice President Cathy Dove - Barging Construction Materials Begins For New Campus, Jane Swanson Joins As Community Liaison And Town Hall Meeting February 5

Cornell NYC Tech Vice President Cathy Dove sends this report to the Roosevelt Island community.

Happy New Year!

2014 is barely underway but it is my great pleasure to share two exciting announcements related to construction of the Cornell Tech campus here on Roosevelt Island: the official start of barging operations, and the addition of a new team member who should be very familiar to Islanders.

Earlier this week, we launched the largest voluntary barging operation in New York City with the arrival of our first barge from New Jersey. The first barge brought over construction materials, empty containers to be filled with demolition materials, and the large crane that moves the materials to and from the barge. By the time this column is published we will likely have begun installation of a site fence, and removed our first load of demolition material via barge, signaling the start of construction and our ongoing effort to minimize the impact of construction on the Island. The first demolition work will be interior demolition, which will include the removal of partitions, walls and ceilings. All of the debris from the interior demolition that needs to be removed will be placed in containers and transported from the site by barge.

In order to maintain public safety during barging operations, the east roadway and promenade will be closed for the duration of the abatement and demolition project – anticipated to be about one year. In order to accommodate traffic to South Point Park and Four Freedoms Park, the west roadway will be modified to accommodate two-way traffic, including the creation of a temporary vehicle turn-around near the west entrance to South Point Park. The roadway modification and construction of the turn-around is expected to take several weeks and, during that time, the west roadway will be closed to all but emergency vehicles. Following the completion of this work, no later than April 1, the west roadway will be re-opened. The west pedestrian promenade will be opened for the entire duration of the abatement and demolition project, including the time when the west roadway will be closed.

The second piece of exciting news is the addition of Jane Swanson to the Cornell Tech team. Many of you know Jane from her years of service to the Island, most recently as chief of staff to Council Member Jessica Lappin. Jane joins the campus as Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations and will work directly with Islanders and others in the City as Cornell Tech’s community liaison. She will spend time at Cornell Tech’s Chelsea Campus and on Roosevelt Island. We couldn’t think of a better person for this role and I know that you will join me in welcoming Jane.

Now that construction is underway, I hope that you will take advantage of the opportunities Cornell Tech is providing to keep informed on the progress of the work. The central clearinghouse for all information related to campus construction is a new website that Cornell Tech created, construction.tech.cornell.edu. On the website you can view a map of the worksite, sign up to receive a bi-weekly look-ahead via email that will contain updates on our progress, milestones, and occasional meeting notices; and contact us.

In addition, we will be hosting a town hall meeting on Wednesday, February 5, from 6-8 p.m. at the Manhattan Park Community Center. At this forum, we will introduce ourselves and our partners, provide a full briefing on our plans, and answer any questions that you may have.

We have spent over a year doing detailed planning on our approach to construction, with the goal of minimizing the impact of construction on the community. As construction kicks off I hope that you will keep in touch with us, sharing any questions or concerns, and I hope to see many of you on February 5th.

Here's more on the Roosevelt Island construction barging process from Cornell NYC Tech Director Of Capital Planning Andrew Winters.

Roosevelt Island Cornell NYC Tech Construction Barging Begins Today - Director Of Capital Planning Andrew Winters Explains The Process

Image Of Cornell NYC Tech Construction Barge and Crane Arriving Today

The Cornell NYC Tech barging of construction materials began at 7 AM this morning as two barges,

a crane

and containers were delivered via the East River by DonJon Marine's Caitlin Ann tugboat

and connected to the east side of Roosevelt Island by a gangplank.

I spoke this morning with Cornell NYC Tech Director of Capital Planning Andrew Winters about the barging process. According to Mr. Winters, construction materials will be delivered to the Roosevelt Island site by water. Also, containers will be filled up with debris from the hospital and removed by barge in three stages. First, the interior demolition, followed by removal of hazardous material and then the structural demolition of Goldwater Hospital. The materials will then be taken to a landing site in New Jersey. The demolition process will take approximately 10 months.

Here's Mr. Winters explaining the barging process for the construction of the new Cornell NYC Tech campus on Roosevelt Island.



The Cornell NYC construction web site adds:

... In order to maintain public safety during barging operations, the east roadway and promenade will be closed for the duration of the abatement and demolition project, beginning on approximately January 22nd.

In order to accommodate traffic to South Point Park and Four Freedoms Park, the west roadway will be modified to accommodate two-way traffic, including the creation of a temporary vehicle turn-around near the west entrance to South Point Park. The roadway modification and construction of the turn-around is expected to take several weeks and, during that time, the west roadway will be closed to all but emergency vehicles. Following the completion of this work, no later than April 1, the west roadway will be re-opened.

The west pedestrian promenade will be opened for the entire duration of the abatement and demolition project, including the time when the west roadway will be closed.

The site fence will take approximately 3 weeks to install....

UPDATE 3:15 PM - According to Roosevelt Island Historical Society (RIHS) President Judy Berdy

Barging is not a new idea

Ms. Berdy shares this picture of a barge

 Image from RIHS

used to build Goldwater Hospital about 1937, adding:

... it was probably used to bring in construction materials. Remember, there was no RI Bridge and there was only a ferry or the trolley and elevator!!!

UPDATE 1/27 - Mr. Winters shares these pictures

Image From Andrew Winters

from the construction barge site.

Cornell NYC Tech Begins Barging Operations Tomorrow (January 21) To Remove Goldwater Hospital Debris For New Roosevelt Island Campus - East Drive And Walking Path Closed To Vehicle and Pedestrian Traffic Until Further Notice

According to this 9:33 PM Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) advisory:

On Tuesday January 21, 2014 at approximately 7:00AM, barging operations to facilitate the removal of debris from the former Goldwater Hospital site will commence. For reasons of public safety, the East Drive and the adjacent walking path will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians until further notice. Vehicles traveling south will be directed to make a right turn on the Transverse Road. Upon exiting the Transverse Road all vehicular traffic will be directed north onto Main Street. Pedestrians walking south towards SouthPoint and Four Freedoms Parks will be directed to the pedestrian path adjacent to the West Drive to reach those parks and, when returning, to utilize the same Westside pedestrian path to walk North. Additionally, during this road closure, there will no bus service to SouthPoint Park by either the RIOC Red Bus or the Q102. Updates to this closure will be published as they become available.

Here's the Google Map of the area


View Larger Map

and Cornell NYC Tech construction web site.

Tugboat Pulls House Past Roosevelt Island On East River Today

We get to see a variety of East River boat traffic passing Roosevelt Island - barges, tankers, sailboats, motorboats, jet skis, kayaks, ferry boats, party boats, tourist boats and even the Staten Island Ferry on occasion but I don't ever recall seeing a house being pulled by a tugboat on the East River. This morning, Roosevelt Island resident Janet Falk reports seeing:

Tugboat bringing house upriver

and shares this picture.

Wonder where the house was going?

NYC Planning Commission Approves Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Applied Sciences Project Today - Concerns Expressed Over Barging and Traffic Mitigation During Construction - On To NY City Council For Further Review

Following conditional approvals by Manhattan Community Board 8 (December 19, 2012) and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer (January 24,2013), the New York City Planning Commission today approved the Cornell ULURP application for its proposed Roosevelt Island campus.

NYC Planning Commission Chair Amanda Burden announced during today's meeting:

... I enthusiastically vote yes on the proposal as modified....

and that the Cornell Technion project is:

... pivotal for furthering NY's growing technological sector by increasing interaction between the academic community and local businesses ... this project will create new publicly accessible open space and facilitate improvements on Roosevelt island...

Ms. Burden also noted modifications to Cornell's application that were suggested by Roosevelt Island Community Coalition (RICC) members including:

• insuring esplanade around the campus continues to be accessible 24 hours,
• insuring public accessible space open until 10 PM year round,
• cafes open to the public,
• insuring open space is being provided in sufficient amounts and configurations,
• modification of bulk regulation only by Special Permit and
• disposition of city owned property should be restricted to uses more closely associated with Cornell Technion proposal.

Several NYC Planning Commissioners expressed concern over the burdensome traffic impact the project will bring to Roosevelt Island's only street - and were particularly concerned that Cornell might not utilize barges during the construction process nor contribute to the added costs imposed on Roosevelt Island residents and the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) by the increased services anticipated for the Cornell campus. According to Commissioner Michelle de la Luz who cast the lone no vote:

... a few details... remain to be finalized to insure the projects vast benefits don't come at the expense of the Island residents and can be more formally linked to work force development opportunities so that NYC residents with limited career prospects can also benefit from this transformative project...

Here's an excerpt from today's NYC Planning Commission meeting.



Following today's NYC Planning Commission meeting, I received the following statement from Cornell NYC Tech's Director of Capital Projects and Planning Andrew Winters reiterating Cornell's position on barging and temporary cement batch plant. According to Mr. Winters:

BARGING: Cornell is actively exploring the feasibility of utilizing barging techniques to help limit construction traffic on to the Island. We are considering two barging techniques: a floating harbor barge for bulk materials and a fixed platform for driving trucks directly from barges to the site. The use of barges in the construction process will require approvals and permits from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the US Army Corps of Engineers. As part of this investigation, we have been meeting with NYSDEC to discuss regulations regarding temporary installations and to determine pre-application procedures for expedited review. NYSDEC has requested a series of studies, including water depth, sea-wall conditions, and preliminary engineering, which we have initiated. In addition to working with the regulatory agencies, engineers, and others, in the Final Environmental Impact Statement we have included an assessment of the environmental consequences of barging as an alternative construction measure to make sure that all effects have been fully considered in the event that barging proves to be feasible.

CEMENT: We do not believe that hosting a batch plant on site is the most effective way to limit impacts of construction and have a number of specific concerns about the feasibility of a batch plant for this project. The volume of concrete that we're going to be using, particularly in the first phase, is very small. Two of the first four buildings will be steel frame buildings, limiting the total amount of concrete construction to 400,000 square feet at a maximum. We've researched other projects in the City and found that even on dramatically larger projects, including the World Trade Center and Hudson Yards, construction managers have found the challenges of using a batch plant overwhelming and have chosen not to use them. Finally, DEC has noted additional concerns, including the possibility of runoff due to the site's proximity to the edge of the island, which is only 800 feet wide at its widest. Though we are still looking at it, the feedback we've gotten is that the combination of the volume, the industrial issues and the cost, make it an extremely challenging route for this project.

Below is Cornell Press Release on today's NYC Planning Commission approval:

The City Planning Commission today approved Cornell Tech’s Roosevelt Island Campus plan as part of the City’s public land use review process. The plan now continues to the final stage in the process with review by the City Council.

The Roosevelt Island campus will sit on a 12-acre site, with groundbreaking planned for early 2014, campus opening expected in 2017 and full build out in 2037. In January, Cornell Tech welcomed its first “beta” class of Master of Engineering students in computer science. The program is being housed at Cornell Tech’s temporary campus location in Chelsea, in space donated by Google.

“We are grateful to Chair Burden and the City Planning Commission for engaging in such a thorough analysis of the campus plan and ultimately offering their full support,” said Cornell Tech Vice President Cathy Dove. “At each step in this review process we have gained valuable insight and been able to improve our plan, and we look forward to continuing that dialogue with the City Council.”

“With the first students and faculty on our current campus in Chelsea, we’re building the new academic model that the campus on Roosevelt Island will support and encourage,” said Cornell Tech Dean Dan Huttenlocher. “We are grateful for the support of the City and the entire tech community as we move forward with the goal of spurring innovation and supporting economic growth in New York and beyond.”

Approval by the City Planning Commission is another major milestone for the campus. Cornell Tech welcomed its first students in January and is rapidly rolling out new academic programs, recruiting star faculty, developing a distinctive new model of tech entrepreneurship, and designing its permanent campus on Roosevelt Island.

Cornell Tech is offering a distinctive model of graduate tech education that fuses educational excellence with real-world commercial applications and entrepreneurship, rooted in the latest academic research. Students, faculty and industry experts are learning and working together to launch ideas and create new ventures that have global impact. The campus is attracting the best and brightest in technology, immersing them in an entrepreneurial culture with deep ties to the local business community intended to spur the creation of new companies and new industries in New York City.

The Roosevelt Island plan reflects Cornell Tech’s commitment to innovation not only in the academic program for the campus but also in its physical development. The new campus will include up to 2.1 million square feet of development, housing approximately 2,000 full-time graduate students, by full build-out in 2037. The first phase will include up to 790,000 square feet of development, including the first academic building and reflecting all of the uses that will be in place at full build-out.

and video of full NYC Planning Commission meeting earlier today.



Next stop is NY City Council.

UPDATE 3/21 - According to a NYC Planning Commission Spokesperson:

The Commission heard testimony from RICC and from the Community Board about the applicants’ construction plan, and the project’s overall impact on Roosevelt Island’s
infrastructure costs and financial responsibilities.

With respect to construction, the Commission believes that the barging of materials to the construction site may be an effective way to alleviate the amount of truck trips that would otherwise be required to travel through the existing Roosevelt Island community and encourages the applicant to give careful consideration to this alternative as it further develops its construction plans. The Commission notes that the applicant agreed to further study this option in its letter to the Commission dated February 15, 2013.

Roosevelt Island resident Jonathan Kalkin adds:

As Co-Chair of RICC, I am very proud of what our board and the coalition has accomplished in a very short period of time. It has been a pleasure and an honor to work with this team and see so many people work into the night reviewing EIS documents and writing/testifying on behalf of this community. Throughout this process, CB8, our Borough President and now the City Planning Commission have echoed our thoughts and concerns. The Coalition has always been in favor of the Cornell NYC Tech project and we believe that the success of the University and the success of this community is dependent on the University's commitment to Roosevelt Island. We look forward to working with Cornell and testifying on behalf of the community to the New York City Council.