Local law preserves stalled construction site permits

A stalled construction site at 150 North 12th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Photo: CityLand

Owners of stalled sites participating in new DOB safety monitoring program can renew permits for up to four years. On October 14, 2009, the City Council passed legislation creating a construction site maintenance program, to be administered by the Department of Buildings, for sites where permitted work has been suspended or has not commenced.

Currently, construction permits issued by Buildings … <Read More>


Carnegie Hill townhouse reconstruction approved

4-8 East 94th Street. Photo: Brett Reitter.

Applicant claimed that combining office building and residential townhouse would improve surrounding area. On August 20, 2009, the City Council approved a developer’s plan to combine two buildings on East 94th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues into one 67-foot, six-story residential building within the Carnegie Hill Historic District. Originally built in the 1890s, developers converted 4 East 94th Street into a seven-story, 75-foot office building in 1963. … <Read More>


Council Member Jessica Lappin on Landmarks, Public Siting, and Site Safety

Council Member Jessica Lappin represents Community District 5 in Manhattan, which includes parts of Midtown and the Upper East Side. She also chairs the Council’s Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting & Maritime Uses. A New York native and graduate of Stuyvesant High School and Georgetown University, Lappin was raised in a landmarked house in Gramercy Park. Well-regarded by preservation advocates, she has garnered accolades from the Friends of the Upper East Side and the Historic … <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>


City Announces Plan to Protect Vulnerable Landmarks

On April 7, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams, along with Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair Sarah Carroll and Buildings Acting Commissioner Kazimir Vilenchik announced a new action plan to improve enforcement tools to preserve historic buildings in New York City. The plan aims to protect landmarked buildings that are at risk of unknown structural conditions, neglect from owners, and negligence by contractors who work on site. The plan aims to enhance communication between Landmarks and Buildings to <Read More>


Mayor Announces New Appointments for DOB Leadership

On May 3, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced his appointments for new leadership for the Department of Buildings. Eric Ulrich will serve as the new Commissioner of the Department of Buildings, and Kazimir Vilenchik, P.E. will serve as the new First Deputy Commissioner.