The MTA’s long-awaited plan to overtake the defective fireplace sprinkler system on the East New York Bus Depot is one step nearer to actuality.
MTA’s building and improvement wing issued a solicitation this month searching for bids from contractors to exchange the crumbling plumbing that has stored the large Brooklyn facility with out working fireplace suppression for greater than three years.
Since then, a number of makes an attempt to patch the pipe and repressurize it have failed, although work crews have flooded the power’s boiler room and disturbed subterranean asbestos piping within the course of.
In the meantime, the MTA has spent almost $5 million every year in extra time pay to transit staff tasked with conducting an around-the-clock “fire watch” — a lot of it going to the identical group of roughly three dozen staff, with some making thrice their base wage.
Based on the solicitation, the MTA is budgeting between $5 million and $10 million to exchange the broken line in addition to substitute the 1000’s of sprinkler heads throughout 19 completely different parts of the four-story bus depot.
The profitable bidder may even be liable for any lead or asbestos abatement associated to the work.
Bids are due by July, with work anticipated to be accomplished in 2027.
