By Penny Laughlin Last month, the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) released a new Consultation Request Form. The updated form collects additional information to determine eligibility of New Building and Alteration Type 1 projects for Development Hub filing. Form Changes Specifically, the revised Consultation Request Form acknowledges that some… View more
By Penny Laughlin The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) held its first industry meeting of 2017 on February 7. DOB NOW. The public portal is now available for Plumbing, Sprinkler, and Standpipe filings. While filing representatives can only enter limited information at this time, the commissioner advised that additional… View more
By Robert Proffitt, R.A. The Construction Safety Act introduced by the New York City Council last January offers additional examples of the growing disconnect between government institutions and the people they serve. While the concepts behind the 21-bill package are great, specific recommendations often don’t jibe with industry reality. Call for… View more
By Alex Rippere With all the changes in the latest New York City Energy Conservation Code (2016 NYCECC), it can be helpful to review some of the fundamental compliance issues faced by architects, engineers, and owners. For instance, understanding your project’s type—alteration, addition, a combination of the two, or new construction—is… View more
By Austin Regan Every professional understands that obtaining DOB approval of their application requires resolution of plan examiner objections. In addition, every application must adhere to certain standards: required forms, plan naming standards, asbestos reports, etc. To help examiners track these requirements, the DOB computer system auto-generates a “Required Items List,”… View more
By Andrew Pisani At an industry meeting on February 7, 2017, the Department of Buildings (DOB) addressed Temporary Place of Assembly Certificates of Operation (TPAs). These permits are designed to protect attendees of events in locales without a Place of Assembly Certificate of Operation (PA) in place. TPAs are issued to… View more
By Frank Fortino Nearly two months have passed since Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office sent state legislators a replacement for the 421a tax break, now dubbed “Affordable New York.” That move came two months after initial reports of the office reaching an agreement with developers and construction workers. Will the legislation pass?… View more