The Curious Case Of The Corbin Construction

When I passed by Corbin Place last week, I found a major project underway with the entire center of the street torn up. From Brighton Beach Avenue to Brighton 15th Street, a 10-foot-deep-or-so gash snakes through the asphalt. At its bottom are pipes.

But on that Thursday afternoon, not a single worker was in sight. Nor a van or truck with identification claiming jurisdiction over the project. I called Community Board 15 to try and learn more. But though the board is routinely notified when utility projects kick-off in the area, Corbin Place is the dividing line between us and Community Board 13. The board wasn’t notified, and they could only guess that it might be a sewage project.

Days later, I ran into a National Grid employee on another work site. I asked him if he knew. He looked confused, shrugged, then said, “Yeah, I think it’s gas. There’s a big gas thing going on around Corbin.” He didn’t sound so sure either. More like he just wanted me to go away (and who can blame him?).

So… has anyone seen a labeled van or a work crew at this site?