NYC Construction Community Prepares for Proactive Inspections
By Gregory Fortino
Last month, the New York City Council passed a bill that requires the Department of Buildings (DOB) to establish a proactive inspection program. Driven by the partial collapse of a Bronx apartment building in December 2023 and the collapse of a parking garage in lower Manhattan in April 2023, the legislation seeks to identify dangerous conditions and prevent future collapses through predictive modeling.
Continuing Commitment to Public Safety
This legislation naturally follows other city initiatives to improve public safety, such as the recent rules governing inspections of parking structures. Similarly, the Get Sheds Down initiative, which launched one year ago, encourages building owners to complete façade work quickly, keeping pedestrians safe and breeding positivity throughout New York.
The DOB has become increasingly proactive over the years, notably through the Construction Safety Compliance (CSC) unit, which performs proactive inspections on all active sites with a site safety requirement. In addition, landlords are required to conduct periodic, proactive inspections of boilers, elevators, gas lines and pipes.
Mayor Eric Adams has earmarked $4.7 million to help the DOB extend proactive inspections to existing buildings. In addition to hiring new inspectors, the funds will create a risk-based inspection program using predictive analytics to assess such factors as building age, occupancy type, and construction materials; permit history; violation history; 311 complaints; and the disciplinary histories of associated design professionals and contractors.
Landlords who receive violations under the new inspection program will be required to submit corrective action plans within 30 days, including timelines for correcting each identified problem.
Clean Property Profiles: Increasingly Important
As of this writing, the bill awaits Mayor Adams’s signature, but the already-allocated funding indicates that building owners need to prepare. Once enacted, the program will go into effect 180 days later.
Here at Metropolis Group, we’re already working with building owners to identify open violations and create a compliance strategy. Our due diligence service can chart the most efficient—and cost-effective—path to violation dismissal, including any permits or other filings required. In addition, our partnership with The CASA Group offers convenient access to any special inspections needed, including façade inspections and structural assessments for parking garages.
While we’re still waiting for details on the DOB’s proactive inspection program, it’s clear that New York City building owners will have additional incentive to keep their properties compliant. Waiting to correct hazardous conditions will incur additional fines and remedial construction costs.
If you have any questions or if you’d like to discuss your building’s needs, please contact Metropolis Group at 212.233.6344.