Botanical Garden Parking Lot Moving Forward

The space on the corner of Webster Avenue and Bedford Park Boulevard is soon going to (finally) be transformed into what the NYBG is calling its "Intermodal Transportation Facility."

Here are some highlights from an informative email from a Garden staffer:

[...]The New York Botanical Garden’s Intermodal Transportation Facility
(ITF), [is] an open-air pre-cast concrete structure with one basement and
seven floors of parking that will accommodate up to 825 cars.

This new parking facility was designed to accommodate the Garden’s
growing audience, but it will also benefit the community in a number
of direct and indirect ways. By taking advantage of new Garden
membership packages, community residents will be able to park their
cars overnight and commuters may use the garage to “park and ride.”

[...]

Over the last few years, the Garden made substantial progress by
acquiring and clearing the site. We are very pleased to report that
during the last year, we were able to complete the financing, with
assistance from the City, State and private sector partners, and we
are now ready to begin construction. The construction phase will
immediately create 426 jobs. Upon project completion, in approximately
two years, 10-12 permanent Garden operations/maintenance, security,
horticultural, and visitor services jobs will be created to manage and
care for the ITF. As always, NYBG employment opportunities will be
posted on our website, as they become available, at
http://www.nybg.org/employment/.

As part of our ongoing efforts to keep the community informed, this is
what you can expect during the construction phase:

1. Elements of the project also include improvements of the
street and sidewalks on Webster Ave., Bedford Park Blvd., and
Botanical Square area.

2. There may be temporary traffic interruptions on Webster Ave.
and near Botanical Square for brief periods of time at different
points during the construction phase. We will make every effort to
avoid peak traffic times.

3. Working hours at the construction site are Monday – Friday,
7:00am - 3:30pm. Overtime may occasionally be utilized but only as
necessary.

4. Site mobilization will begin the week of August 23rd.

5. First activities will be delivery of construction equipment
and staging.

6. Excavation for foundations will be the first major
construction activity.

7. Once excavation is complete, sheeting and shoring and
preparation for foundations will follow.

8. Foundations will be formed and poured this winter

9. The construction is scheduled to be complete in spring 2012.

~ErLu