April 19th - April 23rd, 2010

Work on the Brooklyn Bridge Begins

April 19 -- The 126-year-old Brooklyn Bridge is getting a makeover. The Tribeca Trib reports the city Department of Transportation (DOT) told CB1 this week, crews will begin blasting the paint off the span in late May or early June and then repaint. The work will be done at night from 11pm to 5am on weekdays and it will be noisy. DOT officials said the bridge will remain open during the paint removal phase, but some streets and intersections may be partially closed. Once the repainting begins, the Manhattan-bound lanes will be closed between 11pm and 5am.

A luxury co-op building in Tribeca goes on the auction block

April 19 -- 34 Leonard Street, a 16-unit building, will be auctioned off on May 5^th, after a series of financial troubles. Curbed.com reports the projects lender, iStar Financial foreclosed on the conversion last year, after the developer R Squared defaulted on its $37.5 million mortgage.

The City tries to minimize the impact of the Chambers Street project

April 20 -- Officials from the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) spoke to CB1, explaining the steps it is taking to mitigate the impact of construction on residents and businesses. The $25 million dollar project to replace two 20 inch water mains will take three years. A spokesman said eastbound traffic will be diverted to Canal and Murray Streets and officials will monitor traffic and make changes if necessary. Contractors will work 7 am to 10 pm on weekdays and 9am to 10 pm on weekends.

BOA signs a new lease in FiDi

April 21 -- Bank of America is taking more than 15,000 square feet at 34 Wall Street, according to The New York Post. Its a five-year lease of the 21^st floor with rent of about $40 a square foot.

The federal government is investigating cost overruns at the Fulton Transit Center

April 21 -- The US Department of Transportation is looking into whether the FTA, Federal Transit Administration, failed to oversee some $7 billion in federal money funding several mega projects, including the Fulton Transit Center. The New York Post said the inspector general expects the probe to take 10 months and focus on waste, fraud and abuse.

Assembly Speaker Silver wants to keep LMDC and BPCA

April 23 -- There has been talk of winding down both agencies, but Silver told The Downtown Express both should not be closed yet. Silver said it would not be a good idea to give the city full control of the money at LMDC and he doesnt want Battery Park City residents to lose the BPCA because they may lose services.

Greenmarket is considering setting up shop in BPC

April 23 -- The Greenmarket is looking at several locations including the plaza between North Cove and the WFC and the cul-de-sac where South End Avenue ends, according to The Downtown Express. At a recent meeting of CB1, the idea got a warm welcome. Meanwhile, two farmers markets are opening at the South Street Seaport, beginning Memorial Day weekend and running through December 19.