By Carol P. Bartold     

Apr. 8, 2015: Work on the Kensington Road condominium development project has begun in earnest and, according to Gateway Development, Inc. spokesman Neil DeLuca, the project can now be called a true construction site.

"We started slow, but we're rolling out," DeLuca said. He anticipates that in approximately six weeks concrete will be poured to begin construction on the parking garage. "Once we got all the work plans approved, things moved," he said.

DeLuca stated that with increased construction activity on the site, the construction fence on Kensington Road's west side separating the sidewalk from the site will have to be pushed out into the roadway to accommodate equipment and work. The construction schedule also calls for electrical conduits for the project to be installed under the roadway.

Village Administrator James Palmer reported that as of Monday, April 6, all parking on the east side of Kensington Road was eliminated not only to facilitate moving the construction fence into the roadway, but also to accommodate two-way traffic on the street and ensure safety as construction progresses. He noted that the village was able to maintain parking on Kensington Road for seven to eight months longer than called for in the construction management plan. Meters on Kensington Road provided twelve-hour parking.

Delays in obtaining a blasting permit from Metro-North Railroad, the discovery of a buried water main that necessitated working with United Water New Rochelle to cut and cap, and the need to reroute utilities to the One Pondfield Building delayed scheduled excavation work and pushed it back into the coldest winter months.

According to DeLuca, more than half of the contaminated soil on the construction site has been removed. Rather than wait for a permit from Metro-North Railroad to blast rock from the site in order to excavate for the parking garage, Gateway is using two machines to chip the rock and lift it from the site. "We found a better way to get the job done, although it might take longer," DeLuca noted, adding that Metro-North expressed concerns about the safety of a blasting operation so close to its tracks.

"We're happy where construction is," DeLuca said.

In January, Westchester Residential Opportunities, Inc. (WRO) filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Village of Bronxville and Gateway Kensington LLC for illegal housing discrimination against families with children. Representatives from Gateway Kensington LLC and the Village of Bronxville declined to comment on the suit.

Pictured here: Construction under way at the Kensington Road development site.

Photo by A. Warner