In its latest effort to increase transparency and efficiency in the construction process, the Department of Buildings today announced the debut of a smartphone app, which will allow users to search DOB databases for the histories of 975,000 city buildings. The app, which comes free of charge, operates on iPhone and Android platforms.
The app includes information on active construction projects, violations, complaints and other details on properties listed in the Buildings Information System, the DOB’s online database. “Push” notifications provide the latest news on service updates, regulations and weather alerts.
As previously reported, the DOB launched the NYC Development Hub in 2011 to speed the approval process for construction projects by permitting architects and engineers to send plans and solve issues digitally. More recently, the city announced that the Hub platform can be used to file for small renovations.
“Our website now receives 1 million hits a day, our online permits save industry members millions of dollars a year and our new app allows New Yorkers to learn about buildings in their neighborhood in an instant,” DOB Commissioner Robert LiMandri said in a statement. “Providing services and information in a timely fashion is the key to good government.” —Zachary Kussin