Photo by Spencer Means on Flickr
A 200-year-old landmarked property in Greenwich Village once home to author Ruth McKenney could soon be demolished. The city’s Department of Buildings last week ordered the immediate demolition of the rowhouse at 14 Gay Street after learning unpermitted work on the building has left it at risk of collapsing. According to The Village Sun, adjacent 16 Gay Street, also constructed in 1827, has also been compromised.
Photo credit: Willoughby General (@willoughbygeneral) on Instagram
The Jacob Dangler House, the historic French Gothic mansion that has sat on the corner of Willoughby and Nostrand Avenues in Bed-Stuy for 120 years, was demolished last week. Despite a campaign led by local residents and public officials to landmark the building, the city’s Department of Buildings issued a permit for a full demolition on Tuesday, according to Brownstoner. The developer plans to build apartments on the site, as 6sqft previously reported.
Streetview of Moshe Piller’s East 172nd Street buildings © 2022 Google Maps
The city this week filed a lawsuit against landlord Moshe Piller, who has accumulated over 1,900 violations for dangerous conditions across 15 buildings he owns in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday said the purpose of the lawsuit is to pressure Piller to repair his property or face “tens of millions” in civil penalties.
Image courtesy of Billie Grace Ward on Flickr
Temporary sidewalk sheds are legally required to be installed at any construction site to protect pedestrians from falling debris. While they are seen as a safety necessity, the structures are eyesores that block sunlight and slow foot traffic. In New York City, the total number of sidewalk sheds has tripled over the past two decades, a new report released this week by the Independent Budget Office found. Looking at data from the Department of Buildings, the report found Manhattan was home to the most sidewalk sheds but noted the outer boroughs are starting to catch up.
Rendering courtesy of Binyan Studios
Construction resumed last week at a condo project on the Upper West Side two weeks after its developer halted all work in response to the state-ordered ban on non-essential projects in March. The city’s Department of Buildings granted SJP Properties construction permits for the tower at 200 Amsterdam Avenue for emergency work, as THE CITY first reported, much to the frustration of some local residents and officials.
729 Seventh Avenue; Map data © 2019 Google
The city’s Department of Buildings is enhancing its facade inspection process nearly two weeks after a pedestrian was killed by a falling piece of terra cotta in Midtown. The agency announced on Monday plans to hire 12 new staff for its facade inspection team as well as increase the number of proactive re-inspections and field examinations. “New Yorkers should know that we are out in force holding owners feet to the fire, so they get repair work done as quickly as possible while still protecting the public,” DOB Commissioner Melanie La Rocca said. “With our enhanced inspection protocols and expanded staff, owners who choose to skirt their obligations will face swift consequences.”
Photo by Doug Davey via Flickr cc
The City’s Department of Buildings has just released a new, interactive map that shows the location of all building construction projects that have been granted permits to proceed with work outside of normal business hours. These types of permits, known as an after-hours variance (AHV), apply to work taking place before 7 a.m., after 6 p.m., or anytime during the weekend. The DOB issued 18,866 AHV permits in 2018 and received 3,729 public complaints through the 311 system regarding construction work illegally performed after hours. The map will be updated daily and include links to further information about each project so that tenants have a way of confirming the status of construction projects on their block.
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