Bruce Ratner and the AY construction site
Bruce Ratner wants to construct the world’s tallest prefabricated structure at the Atlantic Yards site in Brooklyn, according to the New York Times. The 34-story proposed tower would include 400 affordable apartment units, fulfilling a promise Ratner made when he took over the site.
The prefabricated method allows Forest City Ratner, Ratner’s development company, to build a series of modules that contain the basic features of a housing unit, and then simply bolt them together to form a tower. It requires fewer workers and would save time and money, but has never been used for a building taller than a 25-story prefabricated dormitory in Wolverhampton, England.
The Times notes that by employing this relatively inexpensive method to fulfill his obligation to provide affordable housing, Ratner is neglecting a longtime support group: construction workers who were after Atlantic Yards jobs.
The tower is just one of 16 buildings, including a basketball stadium for the Nets, slated as part of the $4.9 billion project. [NYT]