Latest New School Construction Update

Next week (December 17 to December 21), material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors inside the building.

The following week (December 24 to December 28), Material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors. The site will be closed on December 25th for the holiday but will be open on Monday the 24th and Wednesday the 26th.

This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, December 15th for interior and superstructure related activities between the work hours of 7AM and 5PM as permitted by the City.

A private middle school partially funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has released renderings of its planned interior — which is slated to open near Union Square this fall.

AltSchool, a private school that uses a technology-driven approach to design individualized lesson plans for students, has started building out its new school at 90 Fifth Ave. on the corner of 14th Street.

The school, which charges about $30,000 tuition per year, revolves around a Montessori-like curriculum and bills itself as a hybrid tech company and education startup. It’s the brainchild of a team of Silicon Valley types with a long history in companies like Google, where AltSchool CEO Max Ventilla worked for more than a decade.

The new space takes up an office-building floor previously occupied by The New School. It will be divided into two main areas — each of which have a classroom and group area space, as well as a larger communal area with a small kitchenette, a lunch area, and amphitheater-style seating.

The 2024 Harvest in the Square celebration takes place on October 29. Tickets start at $200.

In case you missed it on Friday, protesters invaded and occupied the New School buidling on our block for about 6 hours on Friday morning. Unlike the previous demonstration in December, this one was summarily shut down by a powerful NYPD push at the request of the university, and around 20 occupiers, some of whom appear to have been troublemakers as opposed to students, were arrested. The real losers in all this were the businesses on our block, who were prevented from opening until Friday afternoon.

Dear Board Members, Residents, & Building Staff,

While we are enjoying the nice rain-free weather lately, New York experienced truly little rainfall in October. In fact, it is the second-longest dry spell we have seen in 155 years. This means we are potentially facing water shortages if either the weather does not change and/or we do not cut back on water usage. This past Saturday, Mayor Adams asked city agencies to implement “water savings plans” and suggested that New Yorkers consider cutting back at the tap. While his announcement does not mandate any restrictions on water use, we want to be mindful of the situation. And as we manage hundreds of properties in the five boroughs, we feel it is important to pass along this message. For New Yorkers living in AKAM managed properties interested in doing their part, please consider the following water-saving measures:

In the Bathroom:

• Taking shorter showers will save 5 to 7 gallons a minute.
• When taking a bath, fill the tub only halfway and save 10 to 15 gallons.
• Install water-saving toilets, showerheads, and faucet aerators.
• Place a plastic bottle filled with water in your toilet tank if you cannot switch to a low-flow toilet.
• Turn off the faucet while shaving, washing your hands, or brushing your teeth. Faucets use 2 to 3 gallons a minute.
• Do not use the toilet as a wastebasket, and do not flush it unnecessarily.

In the Laundry Room/ Kitchen:

• Run the dishwasher and washing machine only when full. Save even more by using the short cycle.
• Install faucet aerators.
• Turn off the water while washing dishes. Kitchen faucets use 2 to 3 gallons a minute. Filling a basin only takes 10 gallons to wash and rinse.

Outside:

• Use a self-closing nozzle on your hose.
• Sweep your sidewalk or driveway instead of using water.
• Water plants before 9am or after 7pm and do not overwater them.

Other:

• Repair leaky faucets and turn taps off tightly. A slow drip wastes 15 to 20 gallons each day.
• Do not open fire hydrants.
• If you see a leaking or running fire hydrant, please report it to 311 or fill out this online form so we can follow up.