North 5th Street Pier:A Good Sign

No official (or unofficial) updates on the possible opening of the North 5th Street Pier, but two Parks Department signs were installed Monday - one at the corner of Kent Avenue and North 5th, and a second, hiding in the trees about half-way down the dead end approach that runs along the north side of the Northside Piers / Palmer's Dock low-rise building.

While officially off-limits to the public, a friendly security guard allowed us to walk all the way down to the foot of North 5th Monday. Tower 2 is well underway - maybe seven floors so far - and the Pier's approach takes you along the north side of that site, which is set back from the public walkway by probably 30 feet, well behind a neat, secure fence. With the addition of a simple sidewalk shed, the public walkway to the pier would be FAR more safe and secure than virtually any of the other new builds in the neighborhood - sites that often have pedestrians stepping over concrete hoses, dodging swinging gates, and often walking in the street to avoid active hazards.

What DOES still appear to be an issue is the barge-based crane which is secured very close to the north side of the pier itself. And the problem - potentially - there is that that crane is setting bulkhead panels for the Edge development next door - NOT Northside Piers. So the idea that the Edge's crane is holding up Northside Piers' final certificate of occupancy (and the opening of the pier to the public - see yesterday's post) is certainly a curious one.