Northeast corner, Union Square

Get ready for Leon’s, an all-day Italian bistro that will be located next door to Ribalta on 12th St. near Broadway.

Next week (May 21 to May 25), Superstructure work will continue at the 18th floor level. The superstructure concrete work will be completed on the building buy the end of the month. Deliveries for the internal systems of the building have been ongoing and will continue, although they should not greatly affect the flow of pedestrian and road traffic.

The following week (May 28 to June 1), we will be working on the machine room levels on the 18th floor. Additionally we will have another crane on the Northwest corner of the site to help with a steel truss installation. This should not greatly affect pedestrian or road traffic. Deliveries for the internal systems of the building have been ongoing and will continue, although they should not greatly affect the flow of pedestrian and road traffic. The site will be closed on Monday, May 28th for the Memorial Day Holiday.

This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, May 19th for superstructure related activities between the work hours of 7AM and 5PM as permitted by the City.

To control noise levels within the site, work activities will be limited to the placement of formwork and concrete, plumbing and electrical work, rebar for concrete placement, using the crane and equipment to support all activities. Safety horns are used, and required by law, to coordinate lifting with the crane and to alert the workers of the danger overhead. We have directed the operators to limit the use of horns to one short sounding and to use the crane later in the day so as to avoid any excess noise. In addition to the normal work there will be a crew on 14th st. working on the Con Ed site connections.

Next week (June 11 to June 15), Mechanical equipment deliveries and work on them will continue at the 17th and 18th floor levels. The superstructure concrete work will be completed on the building buy the end of the month. Deliveries for the internal systems of the building have been ongoing and will continue, although they should not greatly affect the flow of pedestrian and road traffic.

The following week (June 18 to June 22), we will be working on the machine room levels on the 17th and 18th floors. Deliveries for the internal systems of the building have been ongoing and will continue, although they should not greatly affect the flow of pedestrian and road traffic. The crane on site will be demobilized and removed from site at the end of June.

This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, June 9th for superstructure related activities between the work hours of 7AM and 5PM as permitted by the City. To control noise levels within the site, work activities will be limited to the placement of formwork and concrete, plumbing and electrical work, rebar for concrete placement, using the crane and equipment to support all activities. Safety horns are used, and required by law, to coordinate lifting with the crane and to alert the workers of the danger overhead. We have directed the operators to limit the use of horns to one short sounding and to use the crane later in the day .

Here’s you reminder that the shareholders’ annual meeting takes place on Monday June 6 at 7:00 PM at the International Seafarer’s House at 123 East 15th St. Second Floor.

According to a report from Crain’s New York:

Foot traffic is stepping up in Union Square. The area now sees 11% more visitors on summer Fridays than it did in 2012, according to a recent survey conducted by the Union Square Partnership, the neighborhood’s business improvement district. After counting pedestrians and using data from subway turnstiles, the BID estimates that 383,000 people are in Union Square on a Greenmarket Friday.

“Union Square has it all,” crowed Jennifer Falk, executive director of the BID, in a statement, referring to the park, transit options, shops and the Greenmarket.

In recent months, the neighborhood has also drawn a variety of retailers—from Brooklyn doughnut shop Dough to classic outdoor-clothing brand Eddie Bauer. E-commerce brand Rent the Runway also set up a showroom in the area last fall. According to the BID, Union Square has a ground-floor retail vacancy rate of 2.9%, though several spaces are currently on the market.

Retail rents in the area are pricey and rising. Dylan’s Candy Bar signed a deal for 3,300 square feet at 33 Union Square West, a spot formerly held by Puma, for $545 a square foot in the fall, for example. Such rents have pushed out several longtime retailers, including Union Square Café. The Danny Meyer-owned restaurant announced over the summer it will be vacating its space on East 16th Street after three decades. When Mr. Meyer opened the eatery in 1985, he reportedly paid around $50,000 a year in rent—that price has jumped to $650,000.

Next week (May 6 to May 10), material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors inside the building. We will be working on the new sidewalks around the building and installing new curbs. Additionally we will be working on the roofs of the building.

The following week (May 13 to May 17), material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors as well as sidewalk work.

This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, May 4th for interior, roof, and sidewalk activities between the work hours of 7AM and 5PM as permitted by the City.