New York City Department of Buildings
08/19/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/19/2024 13:15
Buildings News: August 19, 2024
Financial Impact Study on Sidewalk Sheds
Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo was in Midtown Manhattan last week to stand with Mayor Adams and elected officials and members of the 34th Street Partnership to release the results of a new study conducted by Mastercard exploring how sidewalk sheds and scaffolding negatively impact Manhattan businesses.
Evaluating aggregated and anonymized spending averages from Mastercard, the study shows that cardholders spend between $3,900 and $9,500 less each month at businesses located in buildings that are shrouded by sidewalk sheds.
This study helps underscore that getting sheds down is not just important to improving quality of life in our city, but is also imperative to help small businesses throughout the five boroughs.
The Department is partnering with the City Council to advance new legislation that would give the agency more enforcement tools, in order to compel owners to make repairs in a reasonable amount of time, and get their sidewalk sheds down.
Read Our Press Release About The New Study
Read More About the "Get Sheds Down" Plan
Pilot Program Launched For Next Day Reviews
DOB has just launched a new pilot program to offer quicker and more efficient service to New Yorkers, and we already have started signing up volunteers! Our brand new Next Day Review (NDR) pilot program is looking for more design professionals in Manhattan to volunteer for this new accelerated review program for simple alteration projects.
Projects filed under this pilot program will be reviewed by a dedicated Plan Examination team in DOB's Central Development Unit that will approve plans or issue objections on the following business day. Current average service levels for first review of applications filed with the Department is five days. This program requires applicants to utilize a standard drawing template, which will help get them an answer on their projects even faster.
Read our Service Notice For More Information
Staffing Up Our New Proactive Enforcement Unit
Proper building maintenance is one of the most important responsibilities for owners in our City. By keeping properties in good shape, they are preventing their buildings from becoming a serious life-safety hazard.
Thanks to a new law passed by the City Council, and a significant investment of $4.7 million dollars from Mayor Eric Adams, the Department of Buildings is setting up a new proactive enforcement unit focused on buildings that have been allowed to fall into disrepair by negligent owners.
We will begin staffing up this new unit in the coming months, and empowering them to use predictive analytics to find derelict buildings, and take appropriate interventions in the interest of public safety before a major collapse occurs.
Get Summonses Corrected on The Rock
DOB's Administrative Enforcement Unit (AEU) has taken the "Get Summonses Corrected" campaign to Staten Island for the month of August, offering residents and business owners with unresolved DOB-issued violations at their properties the opportunity to receive expert advice on how to resolve these issues.
Correcting and closing out these open violations is important to ensure that a property is in a safe condition, and has a clean record with the City. Closing out these violations can help property owners avoid major headaches when applying for a mortgage, home insurance or when attempting to sell the property.
Representatives from AEU will be stationed at the Borough Office located inside of Staten Island Borough Hall located at 10 Richmond Terrace, all day each Wednesday this month from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Read More About the Campaign in the Staten Island Advance
Find Out About More Upcoming DOB Events
Parking Structure Inspection Deadline
Earlier this month, a deadline passed for parking structure owners located in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Upper Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island to submit their required initial observation reports to DOB.
These reports are critical to helping property owners identify potential safety issues at parking structures before they develop into a serious problem. Property owners are legally required to hire an engineer to perform these inspections, and submit the resulting report to DOB.
As of the deadline, over 2,000 property owners have still not submitted this required report, and are now facing violations from the Department. DOB is strongly urging property owners to submit these legally required reports, and is alerting building owners that continued noncompliance may lead to enhanced enforcement actions, including potential criminal charges.
Watch the CBS 2 New York Story About the Deadline
Read our Service Notice About Initial Observation Reports
Learn More About Periodic Inspection for Parking Structures
A Record Month for Site Safety Training
During the month of July, DOB's approved construction safety training providers have officially issued the 400,000th Site Safety Training (SST) ID Card here in NYC - a major milestone that means there are currently more than 400,000 construction workers who possess an active SST card.
These ID cards are legally required for construction workers who want to work on one of NYC's larger or more complex work sites, and represent an individual construction worker who has successfully completed at least 40 hours of construction safety training - that means 16 million hours in site safety training!
To date, these cards have been "tapped" more than 21 million times, helping to confirm that only properly trained workers are allowed on these larger work sites.
Find Out More About Site Safety Training
Innovators Needed for the Building Tech Lab
Last week, hundreds of entrepreneurs and industry professionals joined DOB for an information session about the new Buildings Tech Lab, a public-private initiative between the Department of Buildings and the Partnership Fund for New York City. The initiative will help to test new technologies to help the DOB improve how it regulates construction and development throughout the five boroughs.
Don't worry if you missed out, as we are still accepting applications for inclusion in the inaugural Buildings Tech Lab through Spetmebr 20th.
Find Out More About The Buildings Tech Lab
August is Summer Sun Safety Month
August is Summer Sun Safety Month and DOB is reminding construction workers to stay hydrated, take plenty of breaks in the shade, and follow best safety practices to avoid heat-related illness.
Hot weather has a major impact on the construction industry, where much of the activity takes place outside, away from air conditioning and protection from the sun.
Contractors and workers who are outside should take every precaution, and follow all OSHA guidelines to prevent heat-related injuries. That includes ensuring everyone on the work site stays properly hydrated, avoids prolonged sun exposure, and are taking necessary breaks.
OSHA Guidelines to Prevent Heat Illness on the Job
Read About OSHA's Heat Illness Prevention Campaign
Find Out More Ways to Beat The Heat
DOB is Hiring
It's a big city out there - which is why DOB is looking for New Yorkers to join our team and further our missions of enhancing public safety, quality of life, and sustainability in every neighborhood across the five boroughs.
DOB inspectors, attorneys, plan examiners, design professionals, and administrative staff all play a critical role in promoting safety and quality of life here in the greatest city in the world. As a member of DOB, you can help make New York City an even better place for everyone that lives, works, visits and builds here.
Join our team to help regulate the more than 1.1 million buildings and 40,000 active construction sites throughout New York City!
Service Updates
Gas Work Qualification Written Examination
License Examination Fee Updates
Local Law 147 of 2021: New Definition of Major Building - 7 or More Stories or 75 Feet in Height
All Department Service Updates
Hearings + Rules
Buildings Bulletins
2024-005 : This Bulletin provides guidance for the Dining Out NYC program.
Local Laws
Proactive Inspection Program
Local Law 79 of 2024 (Intro No. 79-A) amends the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to establishing a proactive inspection program for buildings.
Parking Structure Inspection Cycle
Local Law 71 of 2024 (Intro No. 231-A) amends the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to increasing the frequency of parking structure inspections.
Parking Structure Penalties
Local Law 70 of 2024 (Intro. No. 170-A) amends the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to increased penalties for department of buildings violations issued to parking structures.
Parking Structure Capacity Study
Local Law 69 of 2024 (Intro. No. 135-A) in relation to a study on structural loadbearing capacity of parking garages.
Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment
Local Law 55 of 2024 amends the administrative code of the city of New York and the New York city building code, in relation to electric vehicle supply equipment in open parking lots and parking garages.
Small Businesses
Small business owners and entrepreneurs in New York City can receive one-on-one guidance and helpful consultations for their projects by reaching out to DOB's Small Business Team (SBT).
Whether opening a new place of business or renovating an existing one, SBT gives the City's small business owners and entrepreneurs the dedicated support they need. The first step for your small business is filling out a SBT support request form on our website.
Upcoming Events
Every week, DOB holds online and in-person events for industry professionals and members of the public.
Have questions and need answers? Join us of for a live online Q&A session, or one of our in-person industry meetings.
See Our Schedule for All Upcoming Events
Stop Work Orders
DOB will issue a Stop Work Order at a work site if it is necessary to protect public safety, so make sure to keep your work sites in safe condition to avoid any unnecessary project delays.
We have a new, interactive map where the public can see all active and rescinded Stop Work Orders across the city.
See the new Stop Work Order Map
Top Ten Reasons For Stop Work Orders
Learn More About Stop Work Orders
Enforcement Bulletins
DOB publishes monthly bulletins detailing the agency's efforts to sanction and deter bad actors in the construction industry. You can find this information posted on the Enforcement Action Bulletin page of our website.
Additional Disciplinary Actions & Voluntary Surrenders
Weather Advisories
When severe weather strikes, it pays to be in the know.
The Department of Buildings emails out weather advisories when NYC is expected to face high wind events and other types of severe weather.