christinamguerrero.com ~ the official site ~
Profile: The New York City
Department of Buildings
Copyright 2011 Christina M. Guerrero
DEDICATION
N/A
STORY BEHIND THE STORY
N/A
ABOUT THE DRAFTS
About the first draft:
This article is from 2011,
but is hopefully a somewhat helpful introduction to this topic.
Whenever I read this thing, I think, "Hey. A short article with a bunch of lists."
Needs to be livened up a bit.
Who takes care of all those buildings in New York City?
If you have ever visited New York City and wondered if anyone is in charge of all those living and business spaces, the answer is yes. The New York City Department of Buildings oversees the welfare of approximately 980,000 structures within the city’s five boroughs: Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. The Department also enforces several codes.
A Brief History of New York City
After being explored from the mid 1500s to the early 1600s, the New York City area was discovered by Dutch settlers who christened the land “New Netherland” and who enjoyed their new home for about 40 years. The English arrived in 1664, seized and occupied the area, and named it New York, after an English duke. Disagreements with King George III led to the colony declaring independence, along with its twelve fellow colonies, in 1776.
The early settlers and colonists built their homes and businesses along the rivers. Homes, businesses and recreational structures quickly spread across the five-borough area, in all directions throughout the island of Manhattan (minus the Frederick Law Olmstead-designed Central Park) and spilling onto the surrounding islands and mainlands, a total of approximately 470 square miles. Today, visitors seeing New York City for the first time may be amazed at the river-to-river, densely-packed buildings on Manhattan Island and its fellow heavily populated boroughs.
NYC’s Department Of Buildings
Shortly after their arrival the Dutch developed and implemented rules for buildings and their safety. In 1860 the position of Superintendent of Buildings was created, followed by the Buildings Department in 1892. In 1936 a citywide Superintendent of Buildings position consolidated the individual boroughs’ superintendents. The current New York City Department of Buildings has been operating since 1977.
Additional Quick Facts
The New York City Department of Buildings Enforces:
Building Code
Electrical Code
New York State Labor Law
New York State Multiple Dwelling Law
Zoning Resolution
The department’s primary responsibilities include:
Issuing construction permits
Inspecting properties
Licensing trades
Performing plan examinations
The Care And Maintenance Of Almost A Million Buildings
With “safety, service and integrity” as the department’s focus; and Robert LiMandri, esteemed for his achievements in construction safety, as Commissioner; the buildings of New York City are in good hands.
Sources:
www.nyc.gov - City of New York
http://www1.nyc.gov/site/buildings/index.page - City of New York Department of Buildings
https://www.iloveny.com - I Love New York
http://www.ny.gov - State of New York
BACK TO JOURNALISM - * - BACK TO ARCHIVES