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Completion of Astor Place Construction Delayed Until Fall 2016

 Reconstruction on Astor Place and Cooper Square is expected to be completed in fall 2016, officials said.
Reconstruction on Astor Place and Cooper Square is expected to be completed in fall 2016, officials said.
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Flickr/WeBuildTheCity

EAST VILLAGE — Construction work on the revamped Astor Place and Cooper Square will continue into the fall of this year, rather than meeting the initial summer deadline, according to the Department of Design and Construction.

Though a newsletter put out by the department projected an anticipated completion date of summer 2016, the massive reconstruction project is now expected to wrap up in the fall, according to a DDC spokeswoman.

“We anticipate construction completion in the Fall and will continue to work closely with [the Department of Transportation], Parks and the community for any updates about this project,” said public information officer Shavone Williams in an email.

The extensive project, which kicked off in Sept. 2013 and was expected to last roughly two years, will create a new, pedestrian-friendly Astor Place and Cooper Square, with newly paved pedestrian plazas, additional greenery, seating, and lighting.

The DDC has already excavated and re-paved much of the plaza, and is currently working on new sidewalk installations along East Fourth Street from Bowery to Second Avenue, according to Williams, as well as roadway operations on Lafayette Street from East Eighth to East Ninth streets.

Construction workers are also doing sewage work on Astor Place from Third Street to Fourth Street, Williams said.

The redesign by New York City firm Weisz + Yoes Architecture (WXY) will include the reinstallation of the beloved three-dimensional Alamo Cube — though initially scheduled for a June comeback, the cube’s return has since been delayed until August.

The new plaza will also feature seven refurbished light-posts from local artist Jim “Mosaic Man” Power, due to an outpouring of interest from neighborhood groups — the poles are tentatively slated for a September installation.