Mother’s Day In and Around Union Square

Next week (May 28 to June 1), Superstructure work will continue at the 18th floor level. The superstructure concrete work will be completed on the building by the end of the month. We will begin pouring concrete at 6am on Friday the 25th in order to finish in a timely manner. 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.

The following week (June 4 to June 8), 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 original location of New York mini-chain Heartland Brewery is slated to close on January 1.  The Post reports that the building at 35 Union Square West has a new owner who is asking for more than the Heartland team can afford to pay.  Owner Jon Bloostein says that when he opened the pub in 1994, the rent was $150,000 a year, but now the new landlord is asking for about $2 million a year.

Next week (January 16 to January 20), Superstructure work will continue at and 3rd, 4th and 5th floor levels. Sidewalk shed along 14th Street has been opened and we will open the sidewalk shed along 5th ave completing the sidewalk shed work.
The following week (January 23 to January 27), we will continue superstructure concrete and slabs on 3rd, 4th and 5th floor levels.
This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, January 14th 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 this Saturday we will be installing a new crane on 5th Ave. that will service the site for the duration of the project. During the installation 13th St. will be closed as well as some lanes on 5th Ave.

A Queens man is hoping to turn sleeping on the streets into big bucks for the homeless.

Yusef Ramelize, a 33-year-old graphic designer, will leave his Ozone Park apartment Sunday and take up residence in Union Square Park. He won’t shower and he won’t have shelter during his “Homeless for One Week” project.

“My reasoning for doing this is to inspire people to make sacrifices within their own lives,” Ramelize said of his project, now in its second year.

He raised $3,635 in March 2009 and donated it to the Coalition for the Homeless. This year’s beneficiary will be the Food Bank of New York.

Ramelize will hand out flyers and keep a videotaped diary of his experiences in order to help elicit donations on his website, homelessforoneweek.com.

“It’s really about me pushing myself to see how much of a sacrifice I’m willing to make every year to get the word out,” Ramelize said.

Ramelize chose Union Square to pay homage to his biggest inspiration, Mohandas Gandhi, who is immortalized with a statue on the west side of the park.

“That’s one of the reasons I did it here,” Ramelize admits. “He wanted to bring peace around him, and he was willing to sacrifice his life.”

As if braving the elements for seven days wasn’t enough, the slender Ramelize will also be fasting from sunrise to sunset for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

First Au Bon Pain kicks the bucket, and now Tisserie at corner of Union Sq. West and 17th is gone as well.