Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri announced today that all new buildings are now mandated to comply with the new NYC Construction Codes signed into law by Mayor Bloomberg in July 2007. The new codes, modeled after the International Building Code, require widened stairwells in high-rise buildings, expanded sprinkler systems, and enhanced emergency voice communication systems. Also, in order to prevent violations from going unnoticed, a new classification system will be implemented that will file them under three categories, depending on the severity of the violation. Before this, applicants were able to file plans that were in accordance with either the outdated Building Code of 1968 or the new NYC Construction Codes. TRD [more]