Update on Ratner's Modular Plans for Atlantic Yards

Crain’s took a look this weekend at Forest City Ratner’s effort to use modular construction to build the first residential building at Atlantic Yards, a particular challenge given the 32-story height of the building:

What remains to be seen, however, is whether it actually gets built. Forest City will construct a prototype module this month and then decide by Christmas on whether to build modular towers or conventional ones. The choice hinges largely on whether Forest City can ink a deal with unions that would require them to take significant pay cuts to help the developer achieve its goal of lowering construction costs by up to 25 percent. Saving that money is especially important because 50 percent of the 4,500 rental apartments planned for Atlantic Yards are designated to be affordable or low-income housing. Forest City hopes that its system eventually will become a model for other large-scale developers.

If they can pull it off, it could set the precedent for the other 15 buildings yet to come, some of which are as tall as 50 stories.
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