It had been scaled back, but now it's gone.
Soaring construction costs have done in the glass dome that was to greet commuters at the Fulton Street transit hub. MTA officials at the Capital Construction committee meeting this morning said the underground part of the project would be completed, but, at least for now, the dome is gone. Much of a city block was razed for the project. Watch for more updates from Marlene here later today ....
Rolando Pujol
UPDATE:The MTA is moving forward with its plans to turn the maze of ramps between several subway lines into a straight passageway, but any above-ground work has been sent back to the drawing board.
Even without the glass structure, the price of finishing the below ground work will cost $30 million more than the current $888 million budget, officials said. The building alone would cost the MTA $250 million.
The MTA had already scaled back the size of the hub after unexpected delays and cost overruns sent the project above an $850 million contribution from the federal government. Set to fully open in 2009, the underground part of the project will now open in late 2010.
MTA officials will present a new plan for the hub next month after meeting with community groups. The MTA is considering several alternatives to the hub, including a street plaza or some sort of structure funded by a private partnership with the MTA, officials said.
Soaring construction prices have also raised the cost of the rest of the agency’s huge projects, like the Second Avenue Subway, by about a billion dollars above previous estimates. The MTA is asking its construction chief, who was set to retire at the end of this month, to stay longer and find ways to shave off any unnecessary parts of the projects.
