The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
New York City transit officials say a pit in Downtown Manhattan that’s been in “MTA construction purgatory” for the last four years will transform into a basketball court by November, Liam Quigley writes for Grist. The city ripped up the court in 2022, and originally estimated it would reopen by the end of 2024. When that deadline passed, the city promised it would reopen by April 2026. The court's budget has ballooned from $45 million in 2014 to $83.7 million today.
“The site was abuzz with activity Thursday. Crews were still working in pits below the street shored up with timber. The site has not yet been paved and none of the new amenities — or the basketball court and hoops — have been installed,” Grist reports.
The city destroyed the original court to build a new substation that provides electricity to trains. The new Grand Canal Court will feature upgraded lighting and fencing, new benches and a water fountain.
Read the full story: Buzzer beater? MTA vows to turn this SoHo pit into a basketball court in 30 days.
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MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
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