A crane working on a Barnard construction project has been lying down in the street on Claremont Avenue for several days now, blocking the entire street for about two blocks. The crane was dismantled during high winds four days ago, but has not been reassembled or removed during that time, notes resident Frank Wolf.
“Barnard should have had an operational plan in place that was workable before bringing the crane on the site,” he wrote in an email to us. “They should not be be planning at this late stage with the crane blocking our street now for four days and no end in sight. It is an enormous inconvenience to those of us living on Claremont Avenue.”
Barnard told residents in an email that it’s working with the city to remove the crane, but wants to make sure they are operating safely.
“While we know this is a significant inconvenience to the neighborhood and apologize for the disruption it is causing as we approach this holiday season, we hope the outcome of this additional work will be that during most future wind events the crane will be able to remain onsite, thus minimizing its impact to Claremont residents. As always, the safety of our communities is of utmost important to Barnard and its construction team.”
The crane is part of a construction project to demolish Lehman Hall on the Barnard campus and build a new five-story building holding a library and classrooms, attached to a 12-story tower holding offices and a science center.
Claremont residents can get packages and deliveries in the following ways, according to Barnard.
- Claremont Avenue will be accessible via W. 116th Street from the intersection to just north of 25 Claremont. If you live at 25 Claremont or in one of the buildings south of it and have a delivery or pick-up during the weekend, please advise your vendor to enter Claremont at W. 116th Street.
- Claremont Avenue will not be accessible at W. 119th Street, but vendors can turn onto W. 119th, park and use the west sidewalk to deliver packages to the buildings between 49 and 35 Claremont. Vendors for these buildings can also enter Claremont via W. 116th Street, park and use the sidewalk to make their deliveries on the northern end of the street.
- Limited parking is available on the southern end of Claremont, up to just north of 25 Claremont.
Surely inconvenient, but not the worst thing in the world to happen to someone. Afterall, you could have lived downtown in the aftermath of the hurricane, or worse, in Aleppo, or even worser still, live in a country where a narcissistic psychopath like Putin is about to become head of state. Oops, withdraw that last condition.
Barnard: “We’re just trying not to kill you, you ingrates! Deal with it!”
What is Wolf’s end game?
I know that balcony!
Happy Advent, Hannukah. Remember when “the Jungle” was chez Barnard College; & some Budgerigars in a Cage in an office of Barnard College; carol singing along Claremont Ave.; “The view from Morningside”; “The Spy on Riverside Drive”; the ‘G-dbox” wasn’t built ?There was an intentional community on Claremont Ave.. I’m suffering so much. Are English language speaking citizens working at the construction site; instead of , e.g., Bangladeshis, Bolivians, etc. ? Claremont Ave. was elegant @ early 1960s. Shaloha. Gilbert & Sullivan production at Millbank Hall, 2016 ? “Have a nice day.”
Thanks Frank!