Bon jour beautiful brick babies! As we begin week three of Brickfest, so begins the aptly named "Phase 3" of the project. For starters, we should see demo work being completed on the 400 block, and rebricking should commence soon after… good news for anyone looking to get from The Nook to the Tea Bazaar in half the time it currently takes (an estimated 40 seconds.)
As promised, the beginning of Phase 3
brings completion to Central Place.
But don’t let phase 3 lull you in with its promise of completion. Phase 3 begins mass demolition on the East 100, 200, 300, and 500 blocks, as well as the Third Street intersection and an area betwixt the Omni and the Ice Park. We can expect to enjoy these havens of dust, racket, and debris until January 31.
But back to the good news, for anyone eager to dine al fresco at Zocalo or Petit Pois, Central Place should be rebricked and open for walking by the end of this week.
Speaking of fresh air, the recent bitter cold (while it may send us, gentle brickophiles, running for our blankies and forced air heat) has not hit the bricks with anything they can’t handle. "It makes the mortar a bit harder to work with," says Barton Malow Project Manager Chris Weatherford, "but it’s not delaying anything."
"The crews are hanging in there," Weatherford says. "We’re making sure they take breaks to warm up. It’s all a part of safety." Here’s to wishing all you bricksters out there plenty of breaks, warmth…and safety, as you enter your own phase 3.
