Zoning Challenge Halts Manhattan Tower for DOB Audit

City Council Member and community celebrate after the Department of Buildings halt the construction of an Upper West Side tower. In September 2016, developer SJP Properties filed building plans with the Department of Buildings for the construction of a new 51-story building located at 200 Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The plans filed detailed a 642 foot tower containing 583,294 square feet of residential space and 3,016 square feet of floor area on … <Read More>


Dead Vehicle Storage Violation Upheld

Property owner stored unregistered vehicles in residential area as part of his automotive hobby. On April 7, 2017, the Department of Buildings charged Juan Castillo, a property owner in an area zoned for residential use, with illegally operating an auto body mechanics shop in a garage on his premises, and with permitting the dead storage of vehicles.


Blocked Brooklyn Bridge View Claim Defeated

Development corporation constructed buildings in Brooklyn Bridge Park that blocked view of the Brooklyn Bridge from the Brooklyn Promenade. In 2005 Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation and Empire State Development Corporation adopted a general project plan for Brooklyn Bridge Park that included the development of a hotel, restaurant, and residential units upland of Brooklyn’s Pier 1. Community members demanded during the initial environmental review that the new buildings not block the view of the Brooklyn … <Read More>



Victoria’s Secret fined $7,200 for signs

Outdoor signs at Herald Square store exceeded the maximum allowable height. Victoria’s Secret, located in Herald Square at 1328 Broadway in Manhattan, maintained three outdoor signs that reached 37 feet above curb level. On November 23, 2015, the Department of Buildings charged Victoria’s Secret with violating the maximum allowable height of 25 feet as set out in Section 32-655 of the New York City Zoning Resolution. The officer charged Victoria’s Secret with three Class 2 … <Read More>


DOB stiffens rules for construction superintendents

Proposed rule would set new qualifications, registration requirements and suspension rules. The Department of Buildings proposed stiffer requirements for the designation of construction superintendents on all demolition and construction jobs.

Under the new rules, Buildings would not issue demolition or building permits without a designated construction superintendent who met certain qualifications. To qualify, the construction superintendent must be a licensed professional engineer, a registered architect or a site safety manager certified by Buildings. Alternatively, the … <Read More>