The intersection of Eastern Parkway and Washington Avenue is one of the busiest—and messiest—in Brooklyn. A capital project to reconfigure the intersection and renovate the Eastern Parkway median between Washington and Grand Army Plaza has been in the works for five years, and will finally be breaking ground July 5, 2010.

The groundbreaking will be the beginning of an 18-month, three-phase project that will include water and sewer main upgrades and work on the main Eastern Parkway before the median and the pedestrian crossings at Washington are addressed.

On February 24, City Council members Letitia James, Brad Lander and Steven Levin held a town hall meeting at which representatives from NYC DOT, Forest City Ratner, and the Empire State Development Corporation discussed planned street closures related to the Atlantic Yards project and answered questions from attendees. Jane Marshall of FCR, Sam Schwartz of Sam Schwartz Engineering, and Chris Hrones of DOT discussed the revised plan for street closures.

Today, Forest City Ratner announced the permanent closing of the following streets in Prospect Heights, beginning on or about February 1.

Residents of the Pacific Dean Annex shelter on Dean and Pacific Streets between Carlton and Vanderbilt Avenues were advised Monday, December 7 that the facility would close permanently on January 15 and begin demolition shortly thereafter as part of the Atlantic Yards project.

Shelter operators and NYC DHS are working to find permanent housing for the 88 families that currently occupy the shelter. Families unable to find permanent housing by January 15 will be transferred to another shelter. According to shelter officials, no relocation assistance is being provided to families by the developer.

The Atlantic Yards Community Liaison has published a notice to the public that beginning on Monday, December 21, 2009, the following streets in Brooklyn will undergo directional changes: