Buildings along Second Avenue Subway route need rehab

One of every four buildings along the route of the Second Avenue subway construction may need to be rehabilitated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Post reported. Of the 225 buildings along the Second Avenue corridor, between 63rd and 125th streets, 51 fragile buildings have been identified, many of which are a century old and haven’t been well maintained. “The majority of the buildings we found problematic are really in the northern part [of the subway route],” said Michael Horodniceanu, the MTA’s Capital Construction chief. The MTA will make the repairs, instead of taking the landlords to court to force them to bring their buildings up to code. So far, contractors have repaired 12 of the buildings, and work is underway at another five. Engineers are planning work for 34 more unstable structures, and 18 still need to be studied. Horodniceanu also said that the tunnel boring is moving slower than expected, averaging about 40 feet per day, and not 55, as was previously projected. Last week, displaced residents were allowed to return to their homes at 1873 Second Avenue, after the construction forced them to relocate for two months, The Real Deal reported. [Post]