After a series of construction delays and accidents, a new concrete subcontractor will takeover at Fortis Property Group’s 161 Maiden Lane.
The project’s general contractor, Pizzarotti, replaced SSC High Rise Construction with RC Structures, documents filed with the city’s Department of Buildings show. The change follows a series of issues on the construction site, largely focused around pouring concrete for the floors of the planned 57-story luxury condo tower.
On Feb. 15, a concrete bucket grazed the 34th floor, causing some of the material to pour into the street and partially lifting part of the floor’s deck. The DOB issued a stop work order following the incident, and only started allowing some concrete work to commence on April 20. A partial stop-work order exists on the site.
Construction also halted on the site back in September, after Juan Chonillo, 36, an employee of SSC, fell to his death from the project’s 29th floor. Officials said he was wearing a harness at the time, but it wasn’t attached to anything. Construction commenced in December but was stopped twice again in January due to violations related to inadequate safety netting.
34th floor of 161 Maiden Lane after concrete bucket grazed the deck
A representative for Pizzarotti declined to comment on the subcontractor switch-up, stating that the company doesn’t discuss business decisions. A project manager for RC Structures hung up on The Real Deal when asked about the challenges of taking over the construction site. Representatives for SSC and Fortis didn’t return messages seeking comment.
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on the project’s schedule, as laid out in the condo offering plan filed with the New York Attorney General’s office. According to the offering plan, if the first closing doesn’t occur by June 2018, Fortis has to update the project’s budget. If the budget exceeds 25 percent or more of the original, buyers who went into contract on units can back out. TRD reported in January that Fortis was seeking $185 million in financing for the 98-unit project.
RC Structures, which is based in Long Island, is also working on the 43-story rental building at 29-22 Northern Boulevard, and a 23-story residential building for seniors at 1802 Second Avenue.