(NYC DOB)
April 6, 2020 By Allie Griffin
A new map released by the Department of Buildings lists the construction sites where work is permitted to continue despite the shut down.
The map lists the addresses of all sites where construction work is permitted– with the work deemed either essential or needed for emergency purposes. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced March 27 that all construction that is non essential must cease as a means to stop the spread of COVID-19.
The Department of Buildings map illustrates specific sites where construction remains ongoing and categorizes each into different essential groupings — emergency work, hospital/ health care, utility, homeless shelter and affordable housing.
The real time map is useful for New Yorkers who suspect illegal construction happening in their neighborhood, despite Cuomo’s executive order.
As of Monday, the DOB determined 1,220 construction sites to be essential, according to the map data.
Construction on otherwise nonessential sites is allowed if the work is determined to be emergency construction, such as restoring electricity or hot water to an apartment building or following a DOB order to immediately fix a safety hazard.
Other nonessential construction is allowed to continue if the unfinished work would be dangerous to left as is — but once the construction is safe and up to code, it must shut down.
Construction of affordable housing–where at least 30 percent of the units will be affordable–is deemed essential and allowed to continue under the governor’s mandate.
That means that work can continue on luxury residential buildings that have a mix of affordable units and market price units.
Construction of TF Cornerstone’s Hunters Point South towers at 52-41 and 52-03 Center Blvd. continues for this reason, the map shows.
Together, the two towers will have nearly 1,200 market price units and 800 affordable units.
Residents who believe an active construction site in their neighborhood violates the governor’s order can report the site to the DOB through 311.
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