Construction of the new main library

I was wondering if the people working on the construction of the new library were being paid by the hour. Every time I drive by when they are working it doesn't seem like there are that many people on the work site.  It just seems like it is taking an inordinate time to complete this project. I know they had some union issues at the onset but I thought this was resolved. Any thoughts?

Stags1978 said:

I was wondering if the people working on the construction of the new library were being paid by the hour. Every time I drive by when they are working it doesn't seem like there are that many people on the work site.  It just seems like it is taking an inordinate time to complete this project. I know they had some union issues at the onset but I thought this was resolved. Any thoughts?

 

Flood damage and hazardous material remediation delayed the project’s completion date.  

Stags1978 said:

I was wondering if the people working on the construction of the new library were being paid by the hour. Every time I drive by when they are working it doesn't seem like there are that many people on the work site.  It just seems like it is taking an inordinate time to complete this project. I know they had some union issues at the onset but I thought this was resolved. Any thoughts?

 

My thoughts are immaterial. 

Isn’t it meant to reopen in a couple of weeks? Library-Lady and I were discussing it a couple of weeks ago. I know librarians have been busy refilling stacks…

joanne said:

Isn’t it meant to reopen in a couple of weeks? Library-Lady and I were discussing it a couple of weeks ago. I know librarians have been busy refilling stacks…

Early 2025 is the latest estimate for the Maplewood Library (one under discussion here).  Library Lady works at the library in South Orange.  Both library buildings are currently closed for construction.

The construction is taking foreverrrrrrrr........

Torn tarps protecting the roof is not a good look.

But it is build on the same space that flooded. The town had the brains to move the police station to higher ground.

The Empire State Building was built in one year and 45 days.  

jeffl said:

The Empire State Building was built in one year and 45 days.  

that’s because there were no inflatable rats back then….

Formerlyjerseyjack said:

But it is build on the same space that flooded. The town had the brains to move the police station to higher ground.

I think it's safe to say that, as controversial as the decision to move the police station away from the Memorial Park area was, a proposal to move the library away from that area to "higher ground" (and further from both the high school and the middle school) would be many multiples more of that.

Jaytee said:

jeffl said:

The Empire State Building was built in one year and 45 days.  

that’s because there were no inflatable rats back then….

The Great Depression made it easy for the real estate developers and construction firm to flout the unions.  People were hungry for work, no matter the working conditions. 

jeffl said:

The Empire State Building was built in one year and 45 days.

On the other hand, no workers have died at the library site.

Formerlyjerseyjack said:

But it is build on the same space that flooded. The town had the brains to move the police station to higher ground.

This is why the building systems have been moved to the roof and design elements have been added to reduce the likelihood of flooding going forward.  With the number of underground streams flowing under structures at our higher elevations, moving the library to higher ground by itself might

not mitigate against flooding in the future.  What is needed is better storm water management town-wide and the town has begun working on that.