Low-cost construction set for 15 Atlantic Yards towers

Developer Bruce Ratner will use prefabricated steel to build the residential properties, one of which will be 32-stories—the tallest structure ever using that method of construction.

Developer Bruce Ratner plans to use prefabricated steel to build the 15 residential buildings he plans to construct at Atlantic Yards, according to a report in The New York Times.

The first apartment house, a 32-story, 350-unit residential building at the corner of Flatbush Avenue and Dean Street will be the world's tallest prefabricated steel structure. Construction is slated to begin next year. Construction of the tower, however, has been delayed along with many other elements of the contested $4.9 billion Atlantic Yards project. Meanwhile, construction work on the centerpiece of the project, the Barclays Center arena that will be home to the Nets basketball team, is well under way, with an opening set for next September.

Mr. Ratner told The Times that using prefabricated or modular construction can cut time and costs by as much as 25%.