We spotted workers digging a foundation on Astor Place this morning.
Is this for the base of the Alamo, the sculpture that is expected to return this month?
Yes!
William Kelley, executive director of the Village Alliance, confirmed the nature of the work to us via email.
And when will the cube be back?
"The City has not given a firm date yet for its return," Kelly said. "Soon though we hope!"
Workers removed the Alamo for safekeeping for the duration of the $16 million capital improvement project on Nov. 25, 2014.
Updated 8/11
And a look at the Alamo space this morning...
Previously on EV Grieve:
The Alamo returns to Astor Place this Halloween
This is what it might be like living inside the Alamo on Astor Place
RIP Tony Rosenthal, the sculptor who created the Astor Place cube
The first of Jim Power's restored mosaic light poles has returned to Astor Place
10 comments:
I walked through Astor place the other day to see what all the fuss is about. As expected tourists sat on those stone slab benches and the rest of us did our best to criss cross the area avoiding what appears to be holes for the incoming umbrellas and tables. I left wondering where the new Shake Shack will be positioned, sigh...
Jeremiah's Vanishing New York blogg has reports that the Alamo (or the Cube) will get a corporate Disney (my words) makeover. What is expected is internal or external lighting and motorized gee whiz self spinning. So come down to mid-town south, get a Shake Shack something and watch the cube shimmer and spin when you are not texting someone for that moment.
I had the same report from the same source about the Alamo getting a makeover to include lights and a self-spinning mechanism.
William Kelley, executive director of the Village Alliance, said that wasn't true:
"The Alamo sculpture should return in August, and it is exactly the same as it was before. There are no lights and the spinning mechanism is human powered, just like before. It received a thorough cleaning and coating to protect it from the weather and will return in good shape."
This cost $16 million? Where did it all go -- in cement? It is a barren wasteland.
Even the renovated park to the Lex Kiosk -- sitting areas made of cinderblock -- sucks.
Who's responsible for all this? Chase Bank?
2:46
Greed and our indifference was responsible for this. We have to do better next time.
nobody sees what's there because they are busy on their phones with pac man or whatever that was/is - and they are happy to just have a place that gets reception AND THEY CAN SIT. very few care about their surroundings because they never look around.
the whole astor place area fits into the new city landscaping if you can call it that.
But will it light up and spin on its own like Amanda Burden-Christ at a fundraiser?
16 million? The Vietnam War Memorial was built for about 8 million. But that was over 30 years ago.
I hope they paid Jim a few bucks for his tiling.
Now they just need to renovate the uptown 6 train entrance. Ugly green, rotting steel isn't attractive. Maybe pain it grey ;)
Sad that nowhere in the budget for this project was any thought given to installing escalators for both entrances to the 6 line. New York should be the leader in providing access to the subways for handicapped people and senior citizens. I look forward to an enhanced public space (Astor Place and the surrounding streets). I would be more enthusiastic if there had been any concern shown to people with issues about descending toand mounting from the subway line.
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