The construction phase of the plan intended to reinvigorate Worth Avenue is expected to take longer than originally planned. Reports note, however, that no substantial changes have been made to the new design; the extension is believed to be due to the projects complexity.
Attorney Harvey Oyer, representing the Worth Avenue Restoration Association, delivered this news during the Worth Avenue Association monthly meeting last week. The projected start date for the construction is early to mid-April with a completion date scheduled for early November.
Oyer said, “It’s a challenge to the contractor to complete what should be two years’ worth of work in one summer,” He called the construction project a “very aggressive” undertaking.
There is a revised schedule that includes an extension of working hours in the mornings and evenings with the ability to work on weekend days “in case of weather-related disruptions.” At the meeting, Oyer also introduced the contractor who has been chosen to do the work on the project, Burkhardt Construction of West Palm Beach.
The renovations will cover the three blocks from South Ocean Boulevard to Cocoanut Row, in addition to the construction of a clock tower and a “piazza” in the center of Hibiscus Avenue near the intersection of Worth Avenue. In part, the renovations will include the installation of a new water main, new lighting, fountains, a clock tower feature, detailed sidewalk work and “intense” landscaping, which are all cited as reasons for the needed extra time. “There’s a lot of finesse items to take care of, which takes time.”
