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Water Main and Sewer Main Replacement Project

Published April 25, 2025

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25 min read

Water and sewer main replacement project impacts Park Place, Vanderbilt and Underhill Avenues

RECENT UPDATES!
At a community meeting held March 14, 2025, the project's Resident Engineer, Hadi Elhashash told residents that the construction at the intersection of Vanderbilt Avenue and Park Place, as well as completion of laying the concrete road base on the 2 blocks of Park Place (Carlton to Vanderbilt) is expected to be completed by the end of April 2025. At that time, removal of the equipment storage areas will begin, as well as restoration of the impacted blocks, including curb-to-curb re-paving of the streets. Restoration is scheduled to be completed by the end of June 2025.

Description
From April 2021 until approximately June 2025, a project to replace the water main and combined sewer main is taking place on Park Place from Carlton Avenue to Underhill Avenue, and on Vanderbilt Avenue from Park Place to Sterling Place, and on Underhill Avenue from Park Place to Sterling Place.

Purpose
The purpose of the project is to improve water distribution, alleviate street flooding and alleviate sewer backups. The project will entail significant street excavation and will disrupt traffic and parking.

Project Schedule
The dates below represent the current schedule as verbally communicated by Resident Engineer Hadi Elhashash during a community meeting on Mar 14, 2025.

  • Mar 2025 through Apr 2025: Completion of construction in the intersection of Park Place and Vanderbilt Avenue. Completion of laying concrete road base on Park Place between Carlton Avenue and Underhill Avenue.
  • May 2025 - Jun 2025: Final restoration

Community Construction Liaison
The NYC Department of Design and Construction assigns a Community Construction Liaison ("CCL"), to projects such as this one which impacts the community. The current CCL is Shernell Pemberton, and you can find her contact information below.

A previous CCL on the project, Ahmed Elhashash, attended the May 19, 2021 PPUABA meeting, gave a short presentation and answered our questions. Additionally, Hadi Elhashash, the project's chief engineer, attended the Sep 22, 2021 block association meeting. The Sep 21, 2022 PPUABA monthly meeting included a detailed recap of a meeting with community residents attended by Shernell Pemberton and Hadi Elhashash, which occurred on Sep 20, 2022 on Park Place. You can listen to Ahmed's and Hadi's presentations, and read the minutes of the Sep 21, 2022 PPUABA monthly meeting by clicking on the links to the respective audio clips and minutes on the PPUABA Meeting Minutes page.

You can reach the CCL using the contact information below.

Shernell Pemberton, Community Construction Liaison (CCL)
NYC Department of Design and Construction
Project # SEK002386
250 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Office: 646-908-2131
Mobile: 347-579-6087
Email: Parkplccl@gmail.com

Photos
Scroll to the bottom of this page for some photos of the construction work.

Project-related documents
Below are links to project-related documents, with the most recent on top.

To see project related documents from 2023, 2022 and 2021, please click here.

Photo gallery
Below is a selection of photos of work in progress on Park Place between Vanderbilt and Underhill Avenues.

The enormous drill, used to dig holes into which steel support beams are then lowered, is on the left. On the right, one of the beams being hoisted into position.
sewer project - drill and hoisting beam

Closeup of the drill in action.
sewer project - drill

The drill and mechanical shovel. Kids (of all ages) from all over the neighborhood love to watch these huge machines at work!
sewer project - drill and shovel

A view down into the trench, where the new concrete sewer main has been installed, 17 feet below the roadway. On the right, a house sewer line (orange terra cotta pipe) which has been connected to the main. On the left, a house sewer line not yet connected to the main.
sewer project - new sewer line 01

Once installed and after the house sewer lines are connected to the sewer main, the sewer main and house connections are covered in concrete.
sewer project - new sewer line 02

A view of a completed section of new sewer line, encased in concrete.
sewer project - new sewer line 03 encased in concrete

Here's another view, taken in front of 301 Park Pl on Dec 11, looking west toward Vanderbilt Avenue (photo credit: Ed Regan).
Photo taken in front of 301 Park 2022-12-11 Ed Regan

Delivery of pipe for the new water main on Park Place between Vanderbilt and Underhill.
delivery of new water main On the day before Thanksgiving 2022, the hard-working crew knocked off work a bit early to enjoy a pre-Thanksgiving meal together, al fresco, using a pallet of lumber as a table.
sewer project - thanksgiving al fresco

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