Quality of Life Meeting
Tuesday, June 9, 2020

*Due to the COVID-19 public health crisis and restrictions on large gatherings, and social distancing
directives this meeting was held virtually.

NOTES
1. Empire State Development / Atlantic Yards Community Development Corp.
Tobi Jaiyesimi, AYCDC Director, opened the meeting by providing instructions on how
to submit questions and comments during the presentations. Attendees were able to utilize
the chat feature or send an email to atlanticyards@esd.ny.gov.
The March 18, 2020 AYCDC Directors meeting was postponed due to the COVID-19
public health crisis. The meeting will be rescheduled, and details will be distributed when
available.
Any Project-related questions or concerns can be directed to the ESD Atlantic Yards
Project team at atlanticyards@esd.ny.gov or 212-803-3736.
2. Barclays Center
Mandy Gutman representing the Barclays Center noted that the arena’s hourly workers
continue to be paid for previously scheduled events. She reviewed the charitable efforts of
the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation, including donations of over 3 million masks, 400,000
sets of protective eyewear, and 2,500 ventilators. The Barclays center donated 10,000
pounds of food to City Harvest and has partnered with Food Bank for New York City to host
mobile food pantries on the arena plaza and the events served over 1,500 families.

 The Barclays Center has also developed an online community resource hub with
information on health & wellness events, and educational opportunities. The resource hub
is available here: https://www.nba.com/nets/community/resource-hub.
There are preliminary discussions about hosting the MTV Video Music Awards at the
arena on August 30. The Barclays Center is working with key stakeholders including health
and government officials to assess how to safely host this event.
The elevator and escalator at the arena plaza entrance to the Atlantic Terminal Station
have been repaired. The arena’s oculus, which is usually turned off at night, has been kept
on for safety and security purposes.

3. Greenland Forest City Partners / TF Cornerstone
Providing an update on current construction activity at the site, Scott Solish explained
that work at the permanent Long Island Rail Road yards is expected to be completed
shortly, with minor punch list items and site clean-up activity wrapping up.
New measures have been instituted to ensure worker health and safety. There are
staggered start times and expanded work hours to ensure a socially distant working
environment. Each worker has their temperature checked before the start of the workday,
and masks must always be worn while on site. Additional handwashing stations and
restroom facilities have been installed at the site to help maintain clean and hygienic
working conditions. While there are expanded work hours, most activity is finished no later
than 5 PM. The site is fully mobilized with superstructure work ongoing, and façade and
window installation expected to commence in the summer.
The design of B5 is ongoing. The recent permit application to NYC Department of
Buildings is the start of a lengthy review process. The building will be built in conjunction
with the platform.
Amir Stein presented the truck protocols for site B12 and B13. Trucks will enter the site
through Vanderbilt Avenue into the Pacific Street queue area and exit via Carlton Avenue.
Work on the sites’ construction fences has begun. Due to the location of two Con-Ed
vaults, a few parking spaces will be displaced by the fence, but the bike lane and the flow of
vehicular traffic will not be impacted. After the construction fence is installed, foundation
and excavation work will commence. This scope of work is expected to last for
approximately one year.

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 Below is a list of the questions submitted on the chat feature and via email during the
meeting. Applicable responses follow.
Virtual Meeting Structure and Format
● Will the chat based and emailed questions be part of the meeting’s recording? ● Who is
considered a panelist? ● Can the chat be made public? ●Why was no agenda sent out? ● Are
there any elected officials represented in the meeting? ● How many people are in the
meeting?
The virtual meeting was not recorded. Questions and comments received via chat
and email will be included in the meeting notes. The meeting is structured to allow
panelists, who are presenters from ESD, the Developer, and Barclays Arena, to
efficiently respond to questions and comments. Staff was unable to distribute the
meeting’s agenda in advance of the meeting, but an overview of the meeting
structure and presentations was provided at the start of the meeting. When the
question was posed there was representation from the offices of Assemblymember
Walter Mosley, Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon and Councilmember Laurie
Cumbo. There was a total of 41 meeting attendees, 34 attendees when the question
was asked.
Barclays Center
● Is the NYPD using the interior of the arena for its operations? ● When will the barricades
on the plaza be removed? ● What is displayed on the screen and why does the lighting for
the oculus remain on?
The oculus has remained on 24/7 due to the light serving as a safety measure for
both the police and protestors. The screen continues to display a static Martin
Luther King Jr. quote. The NYPD is not using Barclays Center as a location for its
operations. The removal of the barricades is at the discretion of the NYPD.
LIRR Railyards
● Why are the lights on at the yards? The lights are invasive to neighbors. ● Why are the
trains in the yards kept on when not in use? ●What is the timeline for the platform over the
railyards? Is there contact information available for the LIRR?
The lights and train activity at the railyards are controlled by the Long Island Rail
Road and utilized for safety and security. The Developer will ask that the lights be
redirected, and consideration taken to minimize impact to the surrounding homes.
There is no timeline available for the construction of the platform overbuild. Work

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 on the railyard is at substantial completion, and the LIRR is close to providing final
approval.
Residents with questions and concerns about the LIRR yards can contact Vanessa
Lockel via phone at 718-558-7991 and via email at vlockel@lirr.org.

Construction Activity
●Why are there trucks and cement mixers right next to 550 Vanderbilt Avenue? ● Are the
garden and roof amenities at 550 Vanderbilt Avenue and 535 Carlton Avenue open? Can
construction start times be adjusted to a later time? ● When will construction start on B5?
Permits were filed with NYC Department of Buildings. ● Inquiry about the Noise Receptor
Control Program (windows & AC units). ●What is the timeline for the façade repairs on 38
Sixth Avenue?
Pacific Street between Vanderbilt and Carlton Avenues is a private street that is
used as a staging area for the Project to minimize the number of trucks and
construction vehicles on local public streets. Construction start times are compliant
with NYC Department of Buildings regulations during the current public health
crisis. There is no timeline available for the start of construction on B5; the permits
filed begin a lengthy review process. The rooftop gardens at 550 Vanderbilt Avenue
and 535 Carlton Avenue are currently closed. Inquiries about the Noise Receptor
Control Program can be directed to CommunityLiaison@PacificParkBrooklyn.com.
The activity at 38 Sixth Avenue is to remove fins along the side of the building. The
work is expected to be completed in a few weeks.

Construction Workers & Field Observations
● Can construction workers utilize an area in the arena to eat lunch? ● Construction
workers have been observed not wearing masks. ● Are construction workers still required
to wear stickers to identity their job site? ● Are ESD’s consultants monitoring use of face
masks and observance of social distancing guidelines? ● How many visits per week has
ESD’s environmental consultant conducted since construction activity has resumed at the
site?
The Developer will discuss this suggestion with Barclays Center Representatives.
Atlantic Yards Project construction workers are required to wear masks while on
site. Workers found not complying with the requirement are removed from the site.
Site supers regularly stress compliance social distancing guidelines while around
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 the project site. ESD’s consultants have conducted approximately three weekly site
visits since activity has resumed, and the consultants do not monitor construction
workers’ use of face masks.

Police Presence in the Community
● Was the Developer or ESD informed of the placement of police barricades around the
neighborhood? ● When will the police barricades be removed? ● Are police officers
allowed to use to restrooms at 38 Sixth Avenue and 535 Carlton Avenue? If so, what
organization approved the decision? The officers are not wearing masks.
ESD and the Developer were not consulted or informed about the placement of the
police barricades. As a courtesy, officers are allowed to access lobby restrooms, but
use of face masks is required at all times. Building staff will stress the use of masks
for all persons entering the buildings. There has been no coordination between ESD
or the Developer with the NYPD about police operations and checkpoints in the
neighborhood. The removal of the barricades is at the discretion of the NYPD.

B12- B13
● How many spaces will be provided at the parking garage? ● What generated the decision
to provide this number of spaces? ●Where will the garage’s entrance be located? ● Will there
be daily site supervision when construction commences? ● Will there be a dog run? ● What
is the timeline for construction? ● What is the affordability / AMI levels for the buildings?
●Are there any design changes? ●When will the buildings’ Open Space be built? ● Will the
construction activity have any impact on the existing Open Space at 550 Vanderbilt Avenue
and 535 Carlton Avenue?
There is a 36-month construction scheduled for B12 and B13 and the surrounding
Open Space. The buildings’ design has not changed and is compliant with the
Project’s Design Guidelines. There will be daily site supervision while construction
is ongoing. Construction activity may result in temporary closures of the Open Space
at the two neighboring buildings, but notice will be provided accordingly. There will
be a dog run in the Open Space, and 455 parking spaces will be provided at B12 and
B13, with entry/exit via the existing garage at 535 Carlton Avenue. TF Cornerstone
decided internally to provide only the 455 spaces required by the Project.

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 Miscellaneous
● Are building residents not paying rent or maintenance charges due to job loss? ● Were
AYCDC Directors informed of and given an opportunity to advise on the Project’s mitigation
monitoring contract renewal? ● The links to old presentations are not working on the
website. ● Are renderings for the various Project sites available online? ● Who is the new
building manager for 38 Sixth Avenue?
Residents’ rent payments and financial standings will not be discussed publicly. The
mitigation monitoring contract amendment was scheduled to be presented to the
AYCDC Directors for advisement during the now-postponed March 18 meeting. The
item was already listed on the agenda for the ESD Directors meeting. There was an
agency-wide decision to approve all actions on the agenda including the contract
amendment and subsidiary operating budget. The links to presentations from past
Quality of Life meetings are working and available at esd.ny.gov/atlanticyards. The
Project’s Design Guidelines, which details design requirements for every parcel in
the project, is available online. Design presentations for completed buildings and
buildings currently under construction will be added to the site shortly. 38 Sixth
avenue is still managed by Pinnacle City Living.

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