Contrary to the opinion of Google Maps, Washington Square Park belongs to New York City, not New York University, which means that the Parks Department is in charge of the second stage of the park's controversial renovation, originally scheduled for an October completion. And there is apparently serious beef between those Parks Department suits and the Tucci team, the lead contractor on the project. The Villager received some alarming e-mails from Tucci boss Anthony Martucci regarding the park's progress, or lack thereof. Among the allegations: Parks Department officials asked for the wrong color of granite. Witness the ungrammatical anger!
“This job wsp has many problems created by parks [department],” the first e-mail, on Aug. 6, stated. “They have blamed me Tucci for delaying this job when day after day there is problems I wish I could prove to the community some how what is going on. ... They are destroying this job. ... George [Vellonakis, the project’s designer, we assume?] spec out the wrong color granite I had to put in a 270,000 change order so I can get paid for the right color. ... I can’t keep my mouth shut no more they are looking to default me to cover all the internal problems in parks.” In another e-mail three days later, Martucci said, “So over all here it is Monday and my forces are confined to work in an area of 20 x 20 waiting for decisions. Also Tucci has over and over asked when is parks maintenance being relocated so we can begin the big dog run. This is a major park in the world there should be more attention applied.”In follow-up correspondence last week, Martucci threatened a lawsuit against the Parks Department, but that talk was soon squelched and both sides started playing nice?until Tuesday, when Martucci fired off another e-mail to the Villager:“This is what the parks department does when they screw up a job they blame it on the contractor Some one has to expose this and stop this. It’s peoples lives they are playing with. They create drawings that a contractor can’t build with. And when you confront them they put u in default. It has to be stoped. [sic] My family is going to lose their house.”The Parks Department is mum on the Tucci tantrum, but now says that Phase II of the renovation will be finished by December, hopefully with granite that matches.
· Park project panic [The Villager, second item]
· Washington Square Park Renovation coverage [Curbed]
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