Annual Meeting: October 12

The latest from the New School:

Next week (January 17-21), Urban Foundations will continue to drill solder piles on 14th Street. The pile driving rig is scheduled to arrive on site, and will begin driving piles on 5th Ave, moving South. Loading out of debris and earth from the site will continue. Hand chopping of the existing foundation wall in the South East corner of 65 Fifth will also be taking place. Installation of the fence along the USC Courtyards will take place, followed by the removal of the existing protection.

The following week (January 23 – 28), Urban is anticipated to continue driving piles along 5th Avenue, then continuing to 13th Street moving East. Excavation of earth and installation of timber lagging between piles on 14th street is planned to begin. Loading out of debris and earth from the site will continue. Demolition of existing foundation wall in SE corner of 65 Fifth by hand chopping will continue.

I write to remind all that the lower 8 floors of this building are still a construction site which is regulated by the Department of Buildings. New School has heard your complaints but at this time we do not control this site. It is our hope that when we take over the building we can make some necessary changes. The University Center is a LEED building with many energy saving designs incorporated into the building so that we will be good neighbors.

Next week (December 23rd to December 27th ), material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on the academic floors inside the building. (Site closed on Christmas)

The following week (December 30th to January 3rd ), material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on academic floors (Site closed on New Year’s Day)

This weekend the site will be open on Saturday and Sunday, December 21st and 22nd for interior activities between the work hours of 7AM and 7PM as permitted by the City.

Sounds like the long-vacant restaurant space on the west side of University between 11th and 12th (next to Grey Dog) will soon become a 66-seat Thai restaurant.

Zoning changes around Union Square, specifically to OUR zone, C6, are designed to make it easier for a wider variiety of businesses to set up shop at the ground floor level and above. The details are here. For example,

• Arcades

• Axe-throwing

• Billiards/pool halls

• Bowling alleys

• Escape rooms

• Golf simulator driving range

• Indoor go-karts

• Indoor skateboard park

• Interactive or virtual reality attractions

• Laser tag

• Miniature golf

• Observation towers

• Ping pong/table tennis

• Play spaces/family fun centers

• Wax figure exhibitions

• Seasonally: haunted houses and similar fright attractions

• Comedy shows

• Concerts

• Dancing

• Open-mic night or poetry reading

• 3-D printing

• Brewery

• Ceramic studio

• Jewelry making

• Wholesale and/or large-scale bakery

• Woodworking

• Other food and beverage producers, such as coffee roasters, ice cream makers, and shared commercial kitchen or food business incubator space

• Other makers

Next week (January 7 to January 11),interior building material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors inside the building as well as roof work.

The following week (January 14 to January 18),interior building material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floor as well as roof work.

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

The Union Square Partnership has released its latest annual survey of people’s opinions about our neighborhood’s livability in terms of cleanliness, safety, landscaping, lighting, and quality of life. It makes for an interesting read. One highlight:

“USP is committed to enhancing livability in the Union Square 14th Street district through its Clean + Safe program. According to the 2024 survey results, satisfaction for district conditions improved or remained consistent compared to 2023 results, with satisfaction for public safety increasing by 15%. This notable increase follows USP’s deployment of Public Safety Officers (PSOs) in June 2023, and survey respondents noted that their patrols have had a positive impact in Union Square Park and the playground. Despite this improvement, respondents dissatisfied with the conditions expressed ongoing safety, sanitation, and quality of life concerns around the district, including the lack of City enforcement and City services for those in need. USP is dedicated to continuing investment in the PSO program and increasing coordination with City agencies and law enforcement in response to the community’s quality of life concerns.”