Pier A rehab could be pushed back after contract dispute

Pier A, which for more than two decades has sat vacant and dilapidated at the southernmost point of Manhattan, may need to wait four additional months before getting its scheduled revamp because of a contract dispute, according to Downtown Express. The Battery Park City Authority lost its construction manager and general contractor in a span of just two days after the former was found to have insufficient resources to complete the project and the latter upped its asking price by $1.7 million. The BPCA is now seeking a replacement for the general contractor position, with applications due June 30. The construction manager role has already been filled — but the new firm, LiRo Group is more expensive. As a result of the turnover, the project has been pushed back from next April to late Summer 2011. Still, the $30 million grant from the New York City Economic Development Corporation should be more than enough to fund the project, BPCA officials said. It is slated for completion in 2012. [Downtown Express]