To get a smooth Nassau Avenue, Greenpointers must endure a rocky reconstruction and a few power disruptions this spring.
The project to fix up the avenue has been on city’s radar since 2005, waiting to get funded, until federal stimulus money came through last May.
The $15-million project will eventually help replace deteriorated sidewalks and roadways on Nassau Avenue from Bedford Avenue to Apollo Street and Monitor Street from Greenpoint Avenue to Nassau Avenue.
But before that can happen, National Grid must complete the installation of new gas lines — a process that could result in temporary power outages.
The energy giant began its effort in February by tearing up streets, but is only now getting to the heart of the process. And some locals worry that the work that will follow will be insufficient to handle future growth.
“If they’re going to be tear up the streets, we want them to design with the future in mind, considering all the building going on in the coming years,” said Kevin McEvoy, a member of the Nassau-Morgan Block Association, who believes that 15-inches sewer pipes will be too small to meet the neighborhood’s needs.
A Department of Design and Construction spokesperson said that sewer pipe sizes are based on storm events that happen once every five years and the zoning for the area, which has not changed substantially in recent years.
The agency expects to begin its work on the Nassau Avenue streetscape in May.
If power goes out, call National Grid at (718) 643-4050 or Con Edison at (800) 752-6633.
