A state court judge this week dismissed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the city’s Local Law 97, which seeks to slash carbon emissions from buildings. The lawsuit was filed in New York Supreme Court in May 2022 by two Queens co-ops, their board presidents and an LLC that owns a Manhattan residential and commercial building. […]
Department of Buildings
Posted inAffordable Housing
Low-Income Co-Ops Do Without Gas for Years in Face of Steep Cost of Fixes
Jose Fernandez has been cooking without gas for over two years. So have his neighbors in their West Harlem co-op. Con Ed turned off the gas in the summer of 2021, after an inspector noticed a problem with an exterior pipe, fixed it and subsequently performed a separate air pressure test that the system failed, […]
Posted inHousing
How to Snoop Through Property Records Like a Reporter
In New York City, there are a lot of ways to find publicly available information about the buildings on your block — and even more reasons to want it. Maybe you need to find the name of a contractor who botched a repair, or your landlord’s real mailing address, or how many violations a building […]
Posted inCity Hall
Ex-Buildings Commissioner Indicted on Bribery Charges After Allegedly Trading Favors
Adams appointee Eric Ulrich pocketed $150,000 from associates seeking city actions, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg charged.
Posted inClimate Change
Building Owners Could Get Two More Years to Comply with Impending Climate Law
Under new proposed rules to Local Law 97, buildings that show a good faith effort to meet carbon caps could get a reprieve. But some backers of the law say the delay isn’t warranted.
Posted inConstruction
Engineers Warned Landmarks Commission Salvaging a Synagogue Would Be Dangerous. Then a Worker Got Crushed to Death.
A fatal collapse at burned-out Beth Hamedrash happened after the city’s preservation panel forced rebuilding, over its own expert’s objections.
Posted inDepartment of Buildings, Eric Adams
Scaffolding and Sheds on City Sidewalks Get Marked for Speedier Removal
Mayor “Get Stuff Done” debuted a new plan to “Get Sheds Down.”
Posted inDepartment of Buildings, e-bikes, FDNY
Grubhub and JOCO’s E-Bike Charging Hub Violates Electric Codes, City Inspectors Find
Department of Buildings and FDNY issue $6,400 in fines for the Bowery facility, weeks after an electrical fire killed four in Chinatown. Grubhub says it’s a “misunderstanding.”
Posted inEnvironment
Looming Climate Law Has Co-op and Condo Owners Fretting About Funds to Retrofit Buildings
Owners don’t object to the goal of a city law requiring buildings to lower carbon emissions — but they do mind the significant expense.
Posted inCriminal Justice
A Long Trial Puts a Focus on Who’s to Blame for a Disastrous Construction Accident
In a rare occurrence, two supervisors face criminal charges over injuries that disabled two workers at an East Harlem building site.