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City moves to speed opening of new and renovated properties
Council bill would cut down on red tape, Department of Buildings says
A proposed City Council bill aims to streamline how new and renovated buildings are opened.
The measure, sponsored by Council member Robert Cornegy and backed by the de Blasio administration, would create an interim certificate of occupancy for parts of buildings where construction is complete.
The certificate would take the place of temporary certificates for certain buildings but with a key difference: It would not have to be renewed every 90 days. That would reduce owners’ paperwork and avoid violations for failing to renew the temporary certificate.
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“Along with our partners in the Council, we have been hard at work making common-sense changes to cut red tape at the department,” said Melanie La Rocca, the buildings commissioner, in a statement. “This new type of certificate of occupancy would reduce paperwork, free up staffing resources at the department, and streamline the development process, all without diminishing safety.”
The interim certificate would expire for buildings after a full certificate of occupancy is issued. Certain small properties would not be eligible for the new certificate, including parking structures, residential buildings of fewer than eight stories or with fewer than four units, non-residential properties shorter than five stories and mixed-use properties with fewer than four apartments.
Write to Kathryn Brenzel at kathryn@therealdeal.com