Washington Heights Residents Demand Answers on Abandoned Riverside Drive Construction Site

Riverside Drive Construction Stalled

• 📌 A construction project on Riverside Drive in Washington Heights is three years past its original completion date.
• 🚧 Residents describe the stalled project as an abandoned construction site that has created a quality-of-life nightmare.

Impact on Residents

• 💔 An 87-year-old resident, Jack Cole, suffered a heart attack, and first responders faced delays accessing his building due to the construction site.
• ⚠️ Building manager Jack Fogle states that lives are at risk, particularly among the senior population living in the building.
• 📞 Residents have reported calls for two heart attacks, a stroke, and a concussion, highlighting the urgent need for site completion.

Project History and Disputes

• 🗓️ The over $100 million job began in 2019 and was scheduled to finish in 2022.
• 🚫 Contractors with Judaw Incorporated stopped work in 2023, citing issues with sidewalk sheds obstructing access.
• ⚖️ The NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) disagrees with the contractor's claims and is pursuing the matter through litigation.

Calls for Resolution

• 🤝 Residents and Council member Shaun Brio are urging the city to reach a settlement with Judaw to resume the project.
• 🚩 Alternatively, they call for the city to find a new contractor if Judaw does not return to complete the work.
• 🗣️ Council member Shaun Brio also noted that DOT failed to provide an update as promised during a hearing.