To the Pace New York City Community: |
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We know that there are many concerns and questions about the status of 161 William Street, particularly in regard to the ongoing demolition work on the parking structure at 57 Ann Street. While it is important for the University to minimize disruption to teaching and learning so that our students can stay on track in their studies, our top priorities are always the safety and wellbeing of our Pace Community. To that end, we want to provide updates on the measures that have been taken to confirm that 161 William Street is a safe environment for our students, staff, faculty, and visitors.
VIBRATIONS, STRUCTURAL SAFETY, AND ‘PARTIAL VACATE ORDERS’: 161 William Street was closed from April 18, 2023, until August 14. We did not re-open the building for University occupancy until it had been deemed structurally sound by both the New York City Department of Buildings and an independent structural engineering firm. We know that there continues to be some vibration and noise caused by the ongoing demolition of the parking structure, and we understand that this may be especially alarming for those who were in the building on the day of the collapse. As a precaution, the independent structural engineering firm installed devices to monitor vibrations. Their reports show that the building remains structurally sound.
There are partial vacate orders in place for certain parts of the building, specifically for some limited spaces on the first through fifth floors that are closest to the parking garage site. “Partial vacate order” is a Department of Buildings term that means a specific space cannot be occupied. In this case, these spaces were put off-limits only because they are within a certain distance of heavy machinery that is operating on the adjacent parking garage site, not because they are structurally unsound or otherwise inherently dangerous. We are optimistic that as the demolition work winds down in the coming weeks, the order will be lifted (and that noise and vibration will decrease, too).
AIR QUALITY: First, the building was deep-cleaned prior to re-occupancy, ductwork was cleaned, and all air filters were changed. Second, MERV-13 filters are used in all air handlers throughout the building, and HEPA filters are used in vacuum cleaners for all custodial work in the building. Finally, asbestos monitoring has been ongoing in 161 William Street since the start of the demolition of the 57 Ann Street garage and a third-party environmental consultant has taken air samples in the building on several occasions since we re-occupied it in August, and an independent testing agency performed tests for dust, crystalline silica, airborne lead, fungal spores, and other indoor air quality parameters. In all cases, the consultant found that areas are acceptable for occupancy with levels well below regulatory standards. You can find more detail on air-quality testing on the Campus Planning and Facilities webpage, including reports from the third-party environmental consultant. (The reports can be found within the FAQ about air-quality tests.)
ELEVATORS: At the start of the semester, with a full course load and several large-enrollment classes scheduled in the high-rise portion of the building (floors 10 and up), elevator capacity to the high floors was not sufficient to accommodate demand. We know this was an inconvenience for both students and faculty, and interfered with teaching and learning. Academic scheduling worked to relocate large-enrollment classes out of those high floors wherever possible. Additionally, we worked with the landlord to convert a freight elevator to passenger use, to increase capacity to the high floors. We believe these changes have addressed the problem, and we will work with academic scheduling in future semesters for further improvement.
OSHA COMPLAINT: Yesterday we received notification from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration that a complaint has been filed of an alleged workplace hazard at 161 William Street. We have responded to OSHA with the information outlined above, which we believe shows that the building is safe for working and learning. We expect that our response, including the third-party consultants’ reports, will enable OSHA to resolve the complaint.
REGULAR UPDATES: Each week, Campus Planning and Facilities provides an update on all projects to the University’s senior leadership. Going forward, we will also provide that update to faculty and staff leadership. That update is also posted to the Campus Planning and Facilities website and available to all members of the Pace Community. We will also continue to provide updates to the campus community on significant developments via email, digital screens, and other channels. You can also always submit a maintenance request via the Facilities Request form (while you are connected to the Pace network).
ONE PACE PLAZA: As we wrote earlier this week, the renovation work on the east side of One Pace Plaza will begin next week. That side of the building will be locked and closed, and construction fencing will soon be installed. We will continue to update you on our website and through other channels as the work continues. Additionally, we are sorry to report that an elevator in the west side of One Pace Plaza has broken down and requires a new part that will take five to six weeks to be delivered. We know this is an inconvenience, and we are working to have it repaired as quickly as possible. We will provide updates on this and all other matters through our regular updates, and we will be sure to let you know when the elevator is repaired.
Thank you for reading this update.
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Ibi Yolas
Vice President, University Campus Planning and Facilities
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Brian Anderson, MPH, CSP
Executive Director of Emergency Management and Environmental Health and Safety
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