Now Open: Dorado

Next week (September 26 to September 30), contractors will continue to excavate earth and rock, loading out material. Line drilling will continue as well in limited areas. Concrete foundation walls at the South East corner of the site and slab on grade work will continue. Interior core foundation work and underground electrical and plumbing will continue. Removal of the interior earth ramp will be completed. DOT approved street connections to underground utilities on Fifth Avenue will progress. The cherry picker crane on site will be removed upon installation of the Superstructure Contractors Crane which will be stationed inside the Fifth Avenue fence.

The following week (October 3 to October 7 ), we will continue with concrete foundation walls and slabs, line drilling, rock excavation, loading out, interior core foundation work, street utility connections and underground electrical and plumbing. Formwork for superstructure concrete construction will proceed.

DEP has completed the water main repair along 13th Street. As part of this work the DEP will be completing related road repairs.

This weekend in addition to the site being open on Saturday, September 24th for foundation related activities between the work hours of 9AM and 5PM as permitted by the City, there will also be a crane installation crew assembling a crawler crane for use by the concrete superstructure contractor.

Crane installation will involve a partial street closure on Fifth Avenue between E. 14th and E. 13th Streets, as well as a full closure of E. 13th Street between University Place and Fifth Ave. As permitted by the City this activity is to occur between the hours of 6 AM & 9 PM with Sunday, 9/25/11 as a backup date. We don’t plan on needing Sunday for the crane installation unless the weather effects us on Saturday or something else that’s unpredictable prevents the completion of assembly on Saturday. It is anticipated that this work should be completed by end of work day but it could extend until the time allowed.

The soon-to-rise condo tower on University is selling fast, with both penthouses in contract at prices north of $10 million. Wow. Check it out here.

Akam informs us that we have a new managing agent, taking over for Anthony Grimaldi.

She is Inna Odesskaya, 212-986-0001 ext 142, or iodesskaya@akam.com.

Curbed.com is reporting on a terrible HVAC noise problem being caused by the system installed by Vapiano last summer. Watch the video, and you’ll see and hear the problem. Here’s the report:

There’s nothing like a good noise controversy to round out the day, so here’s a tipster’s accusation that University Place chain restaurant Vapiano is destroying neighbors’ eardrums: “For the last seven months, residents of 48 East 13th Street, 107 University Place and 35 East 12th Street have been living with an egregious noise condition created by Vapiano’s HVAC system. Attempts to correct this with the various NYC agencies (DEP, DOB have thus far have not been effective. Vapiano has been issued 3 noise violations thus far by the DEP, has been the subject of TV news coverage (NY1 & Fox5), has been found in violation of the Building Code (twice!) and yet the residents are still subjected to the loud illegal noise levels from early morning to well into the late. This has been going on every day since July 16th of 2010.” Precise! So what do the locals plan to do about it? >> The neighbors have a plan: shame the restaurant via blog, video, and petition. Says our tipster about the video, “there is nothing wrong with your speakers, that’s actually what Vapiano’s HVAC system sounds like. If the noise is too loud and you can’t understand what people are saying just turn up the volume!” Noise wars: on.

This rather fascinating report on pedestrian foot traffic in the area reveals that sidewalk crowds are up 53% in the past five years. If you’ve ever walked past Whole Foods at 6 PM, this will come as no surprise. In fact, Whole Foods is probably mainly responsible for the surge.