Tensions mount over city’s tougher stance on construction safety

As high-rise construction accidents have been in the headlines, the city has toughened its enforcement of safety codes, creating tension with developers. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has pushed the Department of Buildings to act more like an enforcement agency and less like a go-between for the city and developers. Last month he said the department was “on the front lines of public safety in New York City.” Steven Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board of New York, said the city must be more clear about how stop-work orders are issued and for how long.