DOB
November 2, 2009
DOB: A Challenge for All Times (and Mayors)
An article in The Times this weekend looks at the mayor's record at cleaning up corruption and incompetence at the Buildings Department and largely finds it wanting; but the paper also notes that no other mayor has had much luck in that department either. The problem, as the article frames it, is an inherent one when you have low-paid bureaucrats with quite a bit of power and discretion charged with policing an industry that's making money hand-over-fist. “When you pay people who have the responsibility as inspectors so little, they’re prone to having their hand out,” said Daniel J. Castleman, a former chief assistant in the Manhattan district attorney’s office and current managing director at FTI Consulting. “That’s not endemic to one mayor or a dozen mayors, that’s just the way it is. There’s so much money to be made in construction and development that people are going to offer you things and people who are paid less are going to think, ‘Who’s this going to hurt?’ ” The answer, as the numerous crane and building collapses in recent years show, is a lot of people.
Buildings Dept. Woes Have Persisted Despite Bloomberg’s Overhaul [NY Times]
Photo by Jon Meyer
October 27, 2009
97 St. Marks Avenue Update
It's been about a month since we broke the news about the new owner at 97 St. Marks Avenue who was trying to create a curb cut in the recently landmarked part of Prospect Heights so we thought we'd check back in with DOB to see what the status was. Remember that last we checked the DOB had just issued a 15-Day Letter of Intent to Revoke the permits for the cut. Here's the latest from the buildings department: "The Department has put the applicant on notice that approval needs to be obtained from the Landmarks Preservation Commissioner before work can begin for the curb cut. The Department also issued a Stop Work Order which will remain in place until the approval is granted."
DOB Posts Letter of Intent to Revoke on St. Marks Ave [Brownstoner]
A Curb Cut on Landmarked St. Marks Avenue? [Brownstoner] GMAP
October 2, 2009
The Mob Infiltrates the DOB
"The Buildings Department has a history of corruption scandals," says The New York Times, such as the plumbing inspector extortion cases in 2002, but now the DOB can add mob infiltration to its list of black marks on its record. Yesterday prosecutors accused the Lucchese crime family of installing three of its associates in the DOB, who then participated in bribery, abuse of power, gambling, drug-trafficking, extortion, and loan-sharking. Three others from the DOB were also accused, and 27 of the 29 people named in the indictment have been arrested, according to the Times. Last year, the long string of accusations against the DOB led to scrutiny from the Department of Investigation, which in turn led to the resignation of former Buildings Commissioner Patricia Lancaster. The new commish, Robert D. LiMandri, expressed an intent to crack down on the department. Regarding the Lucchese family indictment, he told the Times: “As a precaution, the department has visited all of the buildings associated with the investigation to ensure safety, and we expect to complete all reinspection work soon...These former inspectors are accused of betraying the public and this department for their own selfish gain, and they should be prosecuted to the full extent under the law.”
Mob Infiltration Is Seen in New York City Agency [NY Times]
Agency With a History of Graft and Corruption [NY Times]
Image of Gaetano Lucchese, co-founder of the Lucchese crime family, from Wikipedia Commons
September 25, 2009
DOB Posts Letter of Intent to Revoke on St. Marks Ave
Here's an update on the situation at 97 St. Marks Avenue that we wrote about two days ago: In response to complaints that were lodged, the Department of Buildings made two visits to the worksite, one on Wednesday and on one Thursday. Yesterday's visit resulted in the Borough Commissioner issuing a Stop Work Order as well as a 15-day Letter of Intent to Revoke. While the owner technically has 15 days to address the specific issues, a code consultant we just got off the phone with suggested that the fact that the letter was combined with a Stop Work Order means that the odds are now strongly against the owner. If anyone can clarify/expand on that reading of the situation, please do.
A Curb Cut on Landmarked St. Marks Avenue? [Brownstoner] GMAP
DOB Shuts Down Sweater Factory
That Greenpoint Blog whose name cannot be spoken brings us news that another illegal artist loft building has been shut down by the Department of Buildings. This time, it was a building at 239 Banker Street known as the Sweater Factory. The beleaguered past of the Sweater Factory, used as residential lofts, includes violation of its zoning as a transient hotel, lack of certificate of occupancy, stop work orders, violations of stop work orders, a $5,000 fine from the DOB, etc. Yesterday afternoon the DOB took off the kid gloves and vacated the building. According to That Greenpoint Blog (TGB), the fire department was not present, and the DOB's vacate order declared that "occupancy is perilous to life." The Red Cross was on hand to help find housing for displaced tenants and their pets, and TGB mentioned that the landlord was on site as well. GMAP P*Shark DOB
The Sweater Factory Gets DOBed Again [NY Shitty]
Greenpoint Conversion Mystery on Messerole Ave [Curbed]
September 11, 2009
DOB Vacates 400 South Second
According to residents of the mixed-use building at 396-400 South Second Street in Williamsburg, the fire department arrived yesterday morning to inspect the building and later, along with representatives from the Department of Buildings, declared the site unfit for habitation and ordered the building vacated. This five-story brick structure, classed as a factory/industrial space with no certificate of occupancy on file, housed as many as 20 residential units as well as several businesses. Some residents have lived in the building over five years and expressed fears that 400 South Second Street would become another 889 Broadway—another building vacated by the DOB where residents were padlocked out of their apartments. One woman, in tears, said: "I have three cats. What am I going to do?" The DOB said that residents could still enter and exit the building, but it would have to consider further action if it found evidence of people continuing to live there. The fire department appeared again at the building last night around 8 p.m. to enforce the mandate; at the time several residents were packing their belongings to move out permanently, while others were simply gathering their essentials, hoping that they will be able to return to their homes. The fire department issued several violations against the building, such as its lack of proper fire escapes, illegal room partitions, hazardous gas lines, and exposed boilers and heating systems. A representative of the DOB at the site told Brownstoner that the building would have to be brought into compliance before anyone could live there. One commercial renter at the building, a man who helps manage the site for owner Issac Dahan, thought that residents might be able to move back in as soon as Monday, however; he believed that this was a bureaucratic outburst against Mr. Dahan due to unfiled permits. The occupants have an official meeting with the DOB this morning, where, hopefully, the fate of the building will become clear. GMAP P*Shark DOB
Eviction at 889 Broadway Ruffling Feathers [Brownstoner]
August 18, 2009
Eviction at 889 Broadway Ruffling Feathers
On August 6, the Department of Buildings issued vacate orders to the residents of 889 Broadway in Bushwick, a three-story building containing at least 15 apartments (the number varies with different reports, strangely). Residents were given three hours to vacate, after which their doors were padlocked. The DOB cited several violations such as illegal plumbing, lack of a sprinkler system, and illegal conversion to a residential building. Even though the building has been a residential property for over ten years, these troubles began two weeks ago during a routine fire inspection. Now, BushwickBK and The Village Voice report that the building's management company, VJ Holdings, is working with the DOB to rectify its violations and correct for faulty paperwork; it has also set up a Twitter feed for tenants, in addition to daily e-mails. The company has offered $100 per day to its tenants for housing, and the Red Cross was able to find temporary housing for about 9 tenants. Other tenants are staying with friends, family, or lovers. Shawn Gallagher, one of the displaced tenants, told BushwickBK: "Yes, the landlords are at fault for allowing these conditions to exist, but there was no reason why the DOB couldn’t have talked to the landlords first and maybe come up with some kind of resolution without kicking innocent people out on the streets like that ... I’m very mad at the city right now." GMAP
Tenants Blame City in 889 Broadway Eviction [BushwickBK]
Evicted Bushwick Kids Still Homeless [Village Voice]
Residents Mass Evicted on Broadway [BushwickBK]
DOB Shuts Down Converted Building in Bushwick [NY1]
Photo by Jeremy Sapienza, via BushwickBK
July 29, 2009
Crack is Wack for Slope Building
The DOB has cordoned off the vacant building at 647 Baltic Street in Park Slope with its scary yellow tape and the official line on the structure, via a spokesperson, is that it "prevents a significant safety risk" but it's "not in imminent danger of collapse." The building's owner, who, according to neighbors, hasn't been seen for a couple years, has been served with a bunch of violations. One of the more recent ones says the following: "Failure to maintain observed: front brick facade pulling away from side wall with vertical crack app. 20' high with gaps from 3/8" to 1 1/2"." The DOB says they're evaluating their options for the building, which may very well include demolition. GMAP DOB
July 20, 2009
Council Readying Stalled-Development Bill
More on the bill brewing in the City Council to address the hundreds of stalled construction sites around town: "There is a bill pending before the City Council that would give extensions on building permits to developers who adhere to certain standards of safety and upkeep at stalled sites. The plan would also help the city to get a handle on the true scope of the problem by encouraging developers to come forward when they run into hurdles. 'The first goal is to maintain public safety through this period,' said Edward Skyler, the deputy mayor for operations. 'The second is to remove bureaucratic delays where permits expire and you still have to wait, even if you have financing together.' Under normal circumstances, building permits expire after 12 months of inactivity. The new legislation, expected to be taken up by the council this fall, would provide developers with two-year permits that could be renewed regardless of construction activity, giving them up to four years to get their financing in order."
Fighting Eyesores Before They Start [NY Times]
Williamsburg Ranks #1 in City's Stalled-Site Sweepstakes [Brownstoner]
July 6, 2009
Williamsburg Ranks #1 in City's Stalled-Site Sweepstakes
This morning the Post has a story on the construction-site blight that has pockmarked Brooklyn. DOB stats show Brooklyn has the most stalled construction sites of any of borough, with Williamsburg/Greenpoint leading the tally among neighborhoods. The DOB has identified 63 stalled sites in Brooklyn, 18 of which are in Williamsburg-Greenpoint. By contrast, Manhattan has a total of 39 stalled sites, the Bronx and Queens each have 14, and Staten Island has 13 all together. Residents and the DOB are concerned about safety and quality-of-life issues associated with the stalled sites. "The problem we're having now is that we're starting to get squatters in these buildings and lots," said Williamsburg neighborhood activist Philip DePaolo, who compared the current-day situation in the neighborhood to the Bronx in the late '70s. "Blight draws crime, and if you have blocks and blocks of vacant lots with no people, that creates a problem." In February the DOB created a stalled-sites unit to try and keep the lots safe while nothing is doing. The City Council, meanwhile, has drawn up a bill that would give developers incentives—like granting unlimited extensions on permits—for maintaining safety at their no-go lots.
'Lots' of Woe in W'Burg [NY Post]
Photo by danwitz.
June 25, 2009
406 15th Street: The Lawsuit
Starting in 2006, the construction work for a development at 406 15th Street was marked by what residents time and again alleged were less-than-best practices, to put it mildly: In July '06, the DOB evacuated an adjacent building because construction at 406 made the structure "imminently perilous to life"; in October '06, neighbors put together a video about how work at 406 was damaging adjacent structures; and, most recently, IMBY had a post early this year about how the underground parking garage at 406 constantly ventilated fumes into a neighboring backyard. It comes as no surprise, then, that 406 15th Street, which is a rental with people living in it, is now the subject of a lawsuit filed at the beginning of this year in New York State Supreme Court. The suit has been brought by the owners of the 8-unit rental at 1504 8th Avenue that was evacuated a few years ago and the insurance company that provided coverage for the building; it names 406 15th Street developer Jack LoCicero and architecture firm Bricolage among the defendants. The lawsuit has a laundry list of alleged negligent construction practices at 406 15th and reads, in part, "as a result of said negligence, damages were incurred by the plaintiffs for the cleanup, renovation, assessment, remediation, equipment, construction, renovation, repairs, labor and materials, loss of rents and costs in excess of $626,000." So far, Bricolage and contractors that worked on 406 15th Street have filed answers to the plaintiff's complaint denying all culpability.
406 15th Lawsuit Filings [Supreme Court]
Head-Pounding Nightmare on 15th Street [Brownstoner] GMAP
Reckless 15th Street Excavation Forces Evac [Brownstoner] P*Shark DOB
Sticking It To Their South Slope Neighbors [Brownstoner]
June 2, 2009
New Bill To Give DOB Teeth in Battle Against Scofflaws
Under a new bill introduced this week by Bronx Councilman James Vacca, developers and contractors who have outstanding fines from any city agency, including the Department of Buildings, will be prevented from being granted any permits until they are paid up; currently, the DOB and other agencies lack the ability to deny permits on these grounds. People have to know that they will be held accountable via the permit process if they do not have fines paid up," Vacca told the Daily News.
Bill to Derail Deadbeat Developers [NY Daily News]
May 18, 2009
Scofflaw Contractors and Developers Thumb Nose at DOB
As enforcement of building rules has stepped up in recent years, the city has issued hundreds of millions of dollars in fines to developers and contractors; unfortunately, most of it has gone uncollected. Just last year, the Department of Buildings handed out penalties totaling $132.4 million but only received $29 million of it; unpaid fines going back to the year 2000 now total $263 million. What's more, many of the biggest culprits continue to do business with impunity. The Environmental Control Board is responsible for collecting DOB-related fines but can't do anything more than send out letters. "We don't have a sheriff, we don't have a law department," said ECB spokesperson Amy Slifka. "All we do is adjudicate." One particular scofflaw is Marie Grasso, who runs the demolition company MMG (oft-cited in these online pages). The wrecking company owes more than $1.4 million in fines for repeated safety violations but still continues to be able to get permits from the DOB. She received 144 permits in the past year while managing to rack up 92 documented violations. As Assemblyman James Brennan of Brooklyn put it, Grasso "should not be permitted to do business in the city." Seriously.
Deadbeat Contractors, Developers Owe City Millions [NY Daily News]
MMG Owner on DOB's Worst Offender List [NY Daily News]
Photo by Oates for The Daily News
April 27, 2009
It's Construction Safety Week
If you find yourself walking underneath the sidewalk cover of one of the increasingly-numerous abandoned construction sites in the borough this week, never fear: It's officially Construction Safety Week at the Department of Buildings (as this subway poster, snapped by a reader last week, proclaims). As part of the festivities, DOB inspectors will tour the Avalon Fort Greene work site and give a bi-lingual safety training session in New Utrecht. Full programming info available on this link.
February 24, 2009
DOB Still Busy, But Not as Many New Buildings on Tap
On a visit to the DOB's Brooklyn offices earlier this month, we were struck by how bustling the place was, given the housing bust and all. Most of these folks must be working on small renovations though because, according to data we just got from DOB, the number of New Building applications is way down: In January 2009 there were just 200 New Building applications and 94 permits issued, versus 313 applications and 219 permits in January 2008; December data shows a similar trend.
February 19, 2009
Scarano Fined Over Inspections, or Lack Thereof
Architect and public whipping boy Robert Scarano got another mark against his name last month. According to The Daily News, the Dumbo-based architect was fined $2,800 for failing to inspect a Williamsburg worksite frequently enough in 2007. Scarano only inspected the work taking place at 170 North 5th Street two times instead of the required seven; meanwhile excavation work at the site undermined the building next door. GMAP
February 6, 2009
Avella Disses DOB's New Development Process
Not everyone's digging the new development process that DOB announced this week. While perennial DOB critic Council Member Tony Avella likes the idea of posting drawings online, the feedback process is flawed, he thinks. "Despite being touted by Mayor Mike Bloomberg and DOB Commissioner LiMandri as empowering the public with greater oversight over new developments, it is actually diminishing the ability of residents to contest new construction by creating a defacto statute of limitations through the implementation of the 30-day comment period," Avella said in a press release yesterday. "This procedure will in effect actually benefit unscrupulous developers who will simply wait out the clock to avoid community challenges.” He also doesn't like the idea of the Board of Standards and Appeals having the final say in the public appeal process. Why's that? "Throughout its existence [the BSA] has essentially been a rubber stamp for developers." He's got a point there.
February 3, 2009
DOB Bringing Development Drawings Online
In its continuing quest for greater transparency, the Department of Buildings announced yesterday that it would begin requiring developers to post architectural drawings of new projects and significant additions online for a 30-day public review and challenge period. "This new process will give the public a chance to see what a building will look like before the first shovel hits the ground and developers certainty that once the public has had an opportunity to comment and any compliance issues have been resolved, their project can move forward," said DOB Commissioner Robert D. LiMandri. New York is the first city to implement a requirement like this. The new rules will go into effect as soon as March 9, 2009. This sounds like great news to us—now all we need are some new development projects!
November 17, 2008
Don't Blame the DOB: It's Architects, Not Archetects
Last week, a tipster sent us the DOB's mispelled ad, calling for "archetects" to join their team. Well, turns out, they're not the bad spellers. Per our source at DOB: " I'm told the Department contacted the ad agency this morning to ask why the ad in the paper is different from the ad submitted to it. According to the ad agency, Brooklyn Papers made unauthorized changes to the job posting ad -- they misspelled 'architects,' among other formatting modifications." Not sure it will make you feel better to know that the Paper's spell check ain't working, either.
Update (the final one, we swear): The Brooklyn Paper says they got camera ready art and printed it as it came.
Update (the last one, really): Turns out The Brooklyn Paper did reset the ad and regrets the error. Time to move on!
Calling All Archetects and Engineers [Brownstoner]
November 3, 2008
Brooklyn Building Boom Healthier in 2008 than 2007
Only three new building permits were filed in Manhattan in September, reports the Real Deal, but according to Property Shark, things aren't quite so bad over here. They sent us these screen shots breaking down Brooklyn permit data from the first nine months of 2007 and 2008, organized by zip code. Cypress Hill, 11208, saw the largest number of permits filed — 243 — 7.5 percent higher than last year. After than came zip code 11211 (they call it East Williamsburg but it covers all of hipster-land as well) with 226 new building permits, 107.3% more than last year. In general, building permits were up in the borough. The only thing that went down was the number of demolitions: there were 555, 10.6 percent fewer than last year.
DOB Gets Reorganized
Back in April, after a wave of deadly construction accidents, Buildings Commissioner Patricia Lancaster resigned, leaving her deputy, Robert LiMandri, to take her place temporarily. In August, his acting director title was made permanent, and now he's making some personnel changes, "designed to further standardize the Department's operations across the five boroughs," per a press release from the DOB. First up: Fatma Amer, a licensed engineer, will be First Deputy Commissioner, whose job will be to make sure inspection and examination protocol is followed by all (some of those fatal crane accidents were traced to faulty inspections). Borough commissioners will get a shuffling, too: Thomas Fariello, R.A., is now acting Bronx Borough Commissioner; Ira Gluckman, R.A., will be Queens Borough Commissioner; Marshall Kaminer, P.E., will be Borough Commissioner of Staten Island; Derek Lee, R.A., is Brooklyn Borough Commissioner; Magdi Mossad, P.E., gets the Manhattan Borough Commissioner post; and Christopher Santulli, P.E., is acting Assistant Commissioner for Engineering and Safety Operations. The new assignments take place on November 17.
July 2, 2008
Revamped Building Code is On
The massive overhaul to the city's building code took effect yesterday, according to City Room, marking the beginning of a one-year period in which new-building filings can conform to either the old or new codes. Some of the new rules must be followed immediately, however, including provisions relating to administration (aka fees), enforcement, and construction safety. The new regulations represent the first major revisions to the building code since 1968, and the many changes include mandates for sprinklers in more building types; smoke control systems in more buildings; site safety managers or coordinators on more job sites; permits for more types of scaffolds; and fee rebates for green design. Read all about 'em here.
New Construction Codes Take Effect [City Room]
New NYC Construction Codes [DOB]
Massive Building Code Overhaul on the Horizon [Brownstoner]
July 1, 2008
The Novo Finally Becomes Official!
Big news on 4th Avenue: At long last, people can move into the Novo. The DOB granted the condo a temporary certificate of occupancy on Friday, only a few days before some of the building's buyers would have been able to walk away from their contracts. It was rumored that the development would not get a C of O until its developers finished work on the public playground behind the building. The temp certificate is only good through July 25, and there are still 23 outstanding requirements to be fulfilled before the building is completely good to go. While the playground is still not finished, in recent weeks contractors have stepped up work on the space, and it looks like it should be done within a couple months (see pic on jump). We bet there are some extremely relieved Novo buyers who spent the weekend celebrating.
343 4th Avenue C of O Documentation [DOB]
Should We Feel Sorry For Novo Contract Holders? [Brownstoner]
C-of-O Woes for the Novo? [Brownstoner]
Novo Takes a Nosedive [Brownstoner] GMAP
June 25, 2008
DOB Flunks Comptroller's Audit
The Comptroller's office issued a report on an audit of the Department of Buildings that found the DOB has failed to properly reinspect many construction sites it had deemed hazardous. "It is simply unacceptable that D.O.B. has permitted buildings with multiple open hazardous violations to go un-inspected for years," said Comptroller Bill Thompson in a statement. "Even by DOB's admission, these are the worst cases, yet it has stood by and let the violations go unchecked and put New Yorkers at risk. The Department of Buildings' violation enforcement is crucial to ensuring that buildings in the city are being constructed safely and pose no risks to area residents." The report includes 11 recommendations for how the DOB can improve its reinspection tactics. First response from neighborhood groups to the audit findings comes out of Queens: "City Comptroller Bill Thompson identified the magnitude of concerns consistently raised by Queens Civic Congress, Four Borough Neighborhood Preservation Alliance and Historic Districts Council," said Corey B. Bearak, President of Queens Civic Congress, in a press release. And Simeon Bankoff, Executive Director of the Historic Districts Council, noted that "it's good to see our elected officials confirming what we in the community have known for years—that the Buildings Department is broken and needs to be fixed."
Audit Says Follow-Up on Buildings Is Lacking [NY Times]
PDF: Audit Report [nyc.gov]
Photo by ddunleavy.
June 23, 2008
BREAKING: Collapse and Rescue at 316 Bergen Street
A reader who lives across the street from a development site on Bergen Street just filed the following report:
About 1:30PM today, part of the 3-story building being demolished at the 316 Bergen site apparently gave way unexpectedly, and 12 FDNY and NYPD vehicles responded within minutes. One man was bandaged and led away on foot to an ambulance, apparently with minor injuries. Another man (apparently uninjured, but stranded at the top of the partly-demolished building) had to be rescued by the cherry-picker on a ladder truck.
As you may recall, this is to be the site of a new seven-story Karl Fischer building. We'll have more photos up shortly.
Development Watch: 316 Bergen Street [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark DOB
Photos by Rich Mintz
Latest Restaurant Additions
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Chickadee Chick
added November 6, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Vutera
added November 5, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Park Cafe
added November 4, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Bahia
added November 3, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Aqualis Grill
added November 2, 2009 12:00 PM in Fort Greene -
Wombat
added October 30, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Organic Heights
added October 29, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Giardini Pizza
added October 28, 2009 12:00 PM in Carroll Gardens -
Rye
added October 27, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Bati
added October 26, 2009 12:00 PM in Fort Greene