Image Credit: NYC DOB.

The sweeps will focus on approximately 1,100 sites performing facade work across New York City. On February 18, 2021, the Department of Buildings (DOB) announced the launch of a seven-week long facade and scaffold safety blitz. The campaign includes educational outreach to construction workers and other industry professionals and inspection sweeps of facade work sites citywide. (read more…)

View of Co-Op City from the New England Thruway. Image Credit: Google Maps

Owner’s sought to install on a single pole a 9,000 square foot of billboard space capable of running 54 separate advertisements.  In February 2018, Baychester Retail III LLC filed applications with Buildings to install a 9,164 square foot LED billboard made of 27 two-sided panels mounted on one pole on a commercial property located near Co-op City, in the Baychester neighborhood of the Bronx near the New England Thruway. The large billboard would be capable of displaying 54 video screen advertisements, since each of the 27 panels could display advertisements on both sides. (read more…)

Crane in front of 461 Dean Street, Brooklyn. Image Credit: Google Maps

Crane operator operated a tower crane without proper license. On April 14, 2016, Wayne Miller, a hoisting machine operator, was working with J.F. Stearns Comp. LLC , a construction company, at 461 Dean Street in Brooklyn. The Department of Buildings served a summons Miller for operating a tower crane without the proper endorsement and without a proper renewal. (read more…)

Image Credit: NYC DOB.

Buildings will be graded on a scale of A to F. On September 8, 2020, the Department of Buildings announced that starting on October 30, 2020, all NYC Buildings 25,000 square feet or larger will be legally required to post energy efficiency letter grade signs at their entrances. Similar to restaurant health grade signs, these energy efficiency signs will create greater transparency for the public about how each building operates. (read more…)

The center building, 23-06 Jackson Avenue, features a banner advertisement on top for John J. Ciafone’s law practice. This location was one of the ones in dispute in this case. Image Credit: Google Maps

Building owner advertised his personal law firm on residential buildings that he owned through separate corporations. Attorney John. J. Ciafone has part ownership in four different real estate corporations that own five residential or mixed-use buildings in Queens and Brooklyn. At each of his five residential buildings, Ciafone installed signage on which he advertised his personal law firm. The law firm was separate from the real estate corporation that owned each building. (read more…)

The corner building at 136-02 35th Avenue, Queens. Credit: Google Maps

Owner maintained unlawful apartments in the garage, cellar and upper floors of Queens three-story building. In March 2019, the Department of Buildings received a complaint about people sleeping in the cellar of 136-02 35th Avenue in Queens. Buildings’ inspectors obtained access to the three-story apartment building and observed illegal apartments, a cellar did not match plans filed in 1997, and a garage that had been converted illegally into an apartment. Buildings charged the owner with multiple violations and posted a vacate order on the building. (read more…)