364 stalled city projects breathe new life

The city’s still-burgeoning list of stalled construction projects appears to be letting up, with 364 project sites having restarted construction work since February 2009, the Department of Buildings Told The Wall Street Journal. Of those projects, 94 have been completed. Most were residential and in either Brooklyn or Queens. DOB Commissioner Robert LiMandri attributed the restarts to a new citywide program that allows developers to extend their building permits for four years in exchange for adhering to stricter safety regulations. In the past, developers had to start the permit process from scratch after one year, which contributed to delays. As of April 25, the city’s list of stalled construction sites stood at 576, up from 515 stalled sites at the end of November. [WSJ]