Brooklyn Heights

Water main hit during lux hotel construction at Brooklyn Bridge Park

August 14, 2013 By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle
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Work on a luxury hotel and condo complex at Brooklyn Bridge Park was put on hold Tuesday after the contractor hit a buried water main during excavation.

A complaint was filed on Monday, Department of Buildings spokesperson Gloria Chin told the Brooklyn Eagle. After the site was inspected Tuesday, a partial stop work order was issued. “It was partial to allow for repairs,” she said.

On Wednesday, the Department of Buildings said full repairs had been made and rescinded the work order. Earth-moving equipment could be seen on Wednesday afternoon digging in the wet dirt, but little additional construction appeared to be taking place.

Toll Brothers and Starwood Capital Group are developing 1 Hotel and the adjacent Pierhouse, which will include 120 condos. The complex will also include restaurants, retail, a fitness center and parking.

Union officials blamed shoddy construction practices by contractor Hudson Meridian for the incident. “This stop work order should be a wake up call to Starwood Capital Group and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Board. Brooklynites, the future tenants and workers on the project deserve safe, quality construction practices,” said Gary LaBarbera, President of Build Up NYC.

Calls to Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation and Starwood Capital were not returned by press time.

Last February, union workers rallied against Toll Brothers and Starwood for using non-union workers and subcontracting to Empire Pile and Foundations, which allegedly lacks a Department of Buildings license, workers’ compensation and disability coverage for the project. While Empire reportedly claims it is only leasing equipment to another contractor at the site, Build Up NYC says Empire employees are “on site.”

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