For Immediate Release: December 16, 2025
CONTACT: dobcommunications@buildings.nyc.gov, (212) 393-2126

BUILDINGS DEPARTMENT GETS STUFF DONE DURING ADAMS ADMINISTRATION

 Major Advancement in Safety, Quality of life, and Sustainability a Result of Agency Initiatives

New York, NY – As the year comes to a close, New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) Commissioner Jimmy Oddo highlights a list of accomplishments made by the men and women of the Department over the past four years throughout the Administration of Mayor Eric Adams. These achievements demonstrate the tremendous progress recently made by the agency towards its goal of supporting compliant development and promoting public safety across our city’s built environment of 1.1 million buildings. Since day one of this administration, DOB has played a major role in delivering on Mayor Eric Adams’ promise to “Get Stuff Done,” providing a higher quality of life and safer buildings in neighborhoods across the five boroughs.

“We took office with a simple promise: to ‘Get Stuff Done,’ and, four years later, our administration can say that we delivered on that promise every day for working-class New Yorkers,” said Mayor Adams. “We drove shootings to record lows and pushed jobs and small businesses to record highs. We rewrote the playbook on homelessness and mental health to finally get New Yorkers living on our streets the help they need, and, after decades of half-measures, passed historic housing legislation to turn New York into a ‘City of Yes.’ We overhauled the way our students learn to read and do math, cut the cost of child care, and forgave medical debt. We eliminated taxes for low-income families, launched free universal after-school programming, and helped remove 1,741 long-standing sheds across the city that have been up for three years or more, including 343 at city owned buildings — showing how our administration is leading by example where other administrations would put off their own repairs indefinitely. We got scaffolding off our buildings, trash bags off our streets, and opened up new public spaces for New Yorkers to enjoy. The haters may have doubted us, but the results are clear. On issue after issue, we brought common-sense leadership to create a safer, more affordable city, and our work has changed our city for the better; it will stand the test of time because we made New York City the best place to live and raise a family.”

“Improvements in government operations don’t just happen at the snap of a finger. Rather, these improvements are the product of time, effort, grit, and tenacity of government employees,” said Buildings Commissioner Oddo. “Each of the achievements listed below represent the labors of genuine public servants at this agency who are dedicating their efforts to make life better for our fellow New Yorkers. I am proud of the work that the men and women of DOB have accomplished during this administration, laying the groundwork for a safer, stronger, more resilient, and more prosperous New York City.”  

Protecting The Public:

Building Construction Sites Are Safer: Building construction work sites are markedly safer, thanks to major construction safety initiatives led by DOB over the past four years. In 2024, building construction-related incidents and fatalities both dropped to 10-year lows. The most recent data shows that building construction-related incidents and injuries both dropping over 32 percent during the first 11 months of 2025, when compared to the same period of time in 2024.

Site Safety Training The New Normal:  The reduction in building construction site incidents tracks closely to the Administration’s commitment to support the widespread adoption of DOB’s Site Safety Training (SST) program. Thanks to strong enforcement of the requirements, and city-led initiatives to offer free training, over 450,000 construction professionals working in NYC currently hold a valid SST identification cards. Each issued card representing at least 40 hours of safety training courses, accounting for well over 18 million total hours of life saving information provided directly to workers. DOB is committed to upholding the integrity of this important safety program, through regular audits and investigations into alleged fraudulent activity.

More Eyes on Work Site Safety: DOB has implemented multiple regulatory changes over the past four years to improve safety supervision on building construction worksites. Changes were made in 2024 to the definition of “Major Building” projects, which greatly increased the number of work sites mandated to implement increased safety supervision requirements. In addition, DOB also reduced the number of work sites that a single Construction Superintendent is legally allowed to oversee at one time, going from 10 all the way down to a single job site starting in 2026, so that these safety professionals can each focus on a single site.

Lifting Up Crane Safety: DOB made important changes to the city’s crane safety regulations, already some of the most stringent found anywhere in the country. Under the Adams administration, DOB now requires that all diesel tower cranes operating in the city install fire detection and suppression systems. DOB also implemented new registration and experience qualifications for Lift Directors, who must be on site in a supervisory role whenever a large crane is being moved, raised, lowered, or used for lifting operations. DOB has also tightened regulations for smaller hoisting devices such as knuckle boom trucks, minicranes, and telehandlers, with a new license class for the operators of this smaller equipment.

Operation ESPO Goes on Offense: In 2024, DOB created the Enforcement Bureau’s Strategic & Proactive Operations initiative, given the name “Operation ESPO” in honor of Joseph “Espo” Esposito, a former NYPD Police Chief and DOB Deputy Commissioner. This initiative proactively enforces building safety regulations by leveraging data analytics to inform our targeted enforcement strategies. Tasked with going on offense, Operation ESPO performs proactive inspections to root out dangerous conditions before an incident occurs.

Ramping Up Parking Structure Safety: On day one of the Adams administration in 2022, DOB officially launched the Periodic Inspection of Parking Structures (PIPS) program, which ensures that all of the over 5,900 parking structures in the city are upheld to the highest safety standards. The program mandates that building owners hire an engineer to have the structure inspected on a periodic basis. In 2024, the department ramped up enforcement actions against negligent owners who were not complying with these important requirements.

Promoting Parapet Safety: Starting in 2024, DOB started a new initiative requiring property owners to conduct annual observations of their building parapets to make sure they are in good condition. Parapet collapses are among the most common incident types DOB responds to, with over 430 separate incidents occurring between 2014 and 2024. The required observation is a simple visual check, giving owners a better idea of the condition of their building, and providing them with the opportunity to fix a parapet issue before a potential collapse occurs.

Protecting Tenants From Negligent Landlords: DOB works every day to protect New Yorkers from unsafe building conditions, through strong enforcement of construction-related tenant protection requirements. DOB has worked closely with our agency partners as part of the Tenant Harassment Prevention Task Force (THPTF), successfully advancing multiple cases against property management companies and landlords who are found to put their tenants at risk. Just this month, the THPTF filed a new lawsuit against a developer for illegally deregulating rent-stabilized units, and secured a settlement with another real estate company, resulting in the recovery of over hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid penalties and mandated correction of hundreds of outstanding violations.

Drug Abuse and Overdose Awareness: In response to troubling data which showed that construction workers led occupational groups in overdose deaths, DOB worked with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) in 2023 to alert the industry about the potentially dangers associated with substance abuse. Staff from both departments visited construction sites as a part of the campaign to discuss substance abuse issues, the dangers of fentanyl, how to use Naloxone to prevent a fatal overdose, and work site safety.

Responding to Complaints: Throughout the past four years DOB has maintained a high standard for responsiveness to community complaints. Collaborating with the New York City Mayor’s Office of Technology and Information (OTI), DOB implemented automatic routing software algorithm, to improve response times citywide. DOB recently achieved a major increase in efficiency by reducing the backlog in initial inspection attempts of complaints by 86%. By streamlining rapid emergency response protocols, DOB also reduced the average response time for high-priority "A" complaints to just 12 hours, far below our 24 hour target.

Enhancing Our Public Realm

Getting Sheds Down: In July 2023, Mayor Adams launched the Get Sheds Down initiative, a multi-point plan to tackle the issue of long standing sidewalk sheds that languish in place for years on end. Since the start of the initiative, a total of 15,801 sidewalk sheds have been removed, including 1,741 long-standing sheds that were previously up for three years or more. During this time, the city has seen an overall net reduction in total sidewalk sheds of approximately 11%. Earlier this year, the Mayor and City Council passed historic legislation that will give DOB additional enforcement tools to compel building owners to complete repair projects faster and get more sheds down.

Going After the Oldest Sheds: The Get Sheds Down initiative puts increased scrutiny on the oldest sidewalk sheds, that have been allowed to languish in place for years while property owners put off needed repairs. DOB’s Long Standing Shed (LSS) program subjects the property owners with these older sheds to enhanced enforcement actions, including proactive inspections, potential affirmative litigation, and potential criminal court summonses. These actions are intended to compel the property owners to finally start repairs, so they can remove the shed as soon as possible. Since Get Sheds Down was first announced, these targeted efforts have contributed to the removal of 425 of the oldest sheds in the city, that have been up for five years or more. Building on the success of this enforcement strategy, DOB expanded the LSS program in 2025 to include every sidewalk shed over three years old.

Reimagining Pedestrian Protection: Recognizing the important public safety role that sidewalk sheds play in protecting pedestrians, the Get Sheds Down initiative also looked to improve the design of pedestrian protection equipment so that they don’t detract from the streetscape when they are needed. In November 2025, the Department announced six brand new transformative designs for vastly improved sidewalk sheds that simultaneously improve the pedestrian experience, reduce obstructions, and beautify the streetscape. These innovative designs will be made available for public use as early as next year. DOB has also made smaller incremental design changes for existing sheds, including improved lighting, raised ceiling heights, more color options, and replacing plywood parapets with mesh netting and artwork.

Local Law 11 Study:  In November 2025, DOB released the recommendations that arose from the first ever comprehensive scientific study of the city’s façade inspection requirements for building owners, also known as “Local Law 11”. These recommendations are aimed at modernizing regulations that have remained largely unchanged for 45 years, and will help enhance public safety, reduce compliance-related costs for property owners, and reduce unnecessary sidewalk sheds in the public realm. DOB is now developing updated rules to incorporate these recommendations into city regulations.

Removing Sheds at City-Owned Buildings: The Adams administration has been leading by example on this issue of removing sidewalk sheds. Thanks to pushing forward building repair projects, 1,479 sidewalk sheds have been removed from city-owned buildings since July 2023, including 252 long-standing sheds that previously were up for three years or more. 

Strengthened Protections for Vulnerable Historic Buildings: In 2023, DOB worked closely with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on the creation of a new action plan to strengthen enforcement tools that will preserve the city’s most vulnerable historic buildings. The plan aids in protecting buildings designated as historic landmarks that are at risk due to pre-existing unknown structural conditions, owner neglect, and contractor negligence.

Sustainability in the Built Environment

Reducing Carbon Emissions From Existing Buildings: In the first year of the Adams Administration, DOB created the first-ever solely dedicated Sustainability Bureau within the agency to spearhead all sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives. Since that time, the Sustainability Bureau has been shepherding the smart and robust implementation of Local Law 97, the most significant buildings-based emissions reduction initiative anywhere in the country. With a focus on supporting property owners as they enter a manageable compliance pathway towards reducing carbon emissions at their buildings, the Bureau has helped thousands of buildings get into compliance with the law. Approximately 94% of covered property owners are on track towards compliance in the first reporting year.

Supporting Sustainable Affordable Housing: DOB created the Affordable Housing Reinvestment Fund (AHRF) to help promote equitable decarbonization for affordable housing. The program provides a pathway for building owners to comply with Local Law 97 by purchasing offset credits that are used to electrify affordable housing developments that wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford those types of projects. Retrofits funded by the AHRF improve air quality in disadvantaged communities, reduce emissions citywide, and ensure that all of the health, climate, and economic benefits of this program are kept local.  

Updating Our Codes:

Rehabbing Our Construction Codes: To make sure that city construction regulations keep pace with international standards, emerging technologies, and industry best practices, DOB regularly updates our local city Codes through a robust code revision process, centered on extensive consultation with volunteer subject matter expert committees. During the Adams Administration, DOB fully implemented the 2022 NYC Construction Codes, the first comprehensive updates to the city’s Administrative, Plumbing, Building, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes since 2014.

Charging up the Electrical Code: After a comprehensive code revision process led by the DOB, Mayor Adams ushered in a new Electrical Code for the city in 2024. This was the first comprehensive update to the Electrical Code since 2011. Among other changes, the new codes bring the city up to national standards, implement Electric Vehicle Charging requirements, and addressed emerging technology to support building electrification. The new 2025 Electrical Code takes full effect on December 21, 2025.

  

Promoting New Development:

Expanding DOB NOW: With a focus on modernizing interactions with the public, the Adams Administration greatly expanded the useability and applicability of DOB’s online filing platform, the DOB NOW Public Portal. The updates streamlined transactions to help owners, design professionals, licensees, and filing representatives who do business with DOB online. These improvements to this online administrative tool have maintained and improved development service levels, and have introduced new means to assist other City agencies needing to communicate and conduct business with DOB. 

Ancillary Dwelling Units: Following the historic passage of the Mayor’s City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan in December 2024, DOB worked closely with our partner agencies to create smart regulations around Ancillary Dwelling Units (ADUs), a new classification of housing here in New York City. In September 2025, the city officially began accepting applications for safe and legal ADU projects at one- and two-family residential homes around the city, including new basement apartments, attic apartments, attached units, and fully detached backyard cottages.

Legalization Pathway for Illegal Basement Apartments: Recognizing that thousands of New Yorkers currently live in unsafe, illegally converted basement and cellar spaces, the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan also includes provisions to convert illegal conversions into safe, code-compliant ADUs. DOB and our partners at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) recently held public hearings for proposed rules to create a new basement and cellar apartment legalization pilot program for qualifying illegally occupied apartments in one- and two-family homes.

Office to Residential Conversions: In collaboration with the New York City Department of City Planning, DOB participated in the Office Adaptive Reuse Task Force, providing technical assistance and recommendations on how to help convert underused office towers in the City into residential buildings for New York City families.

Supporting Timber Construction Development: In 2023, DOB worked closed with our partners at the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), to help launch the New York City Mass Timber Studio, a technical assistance program to support active mass timber development projects. DOB provides advisory support to projects that take part in the initiative, helping to bring these timber projects online. The latest cohort of projects taking part in the Mass Timber Studio were announced earlier this summer.

Major Projects Development Program: In September 2022, DOB launched a voluntary program for the city’s largest building construction projects. The Major Projects Development Program initiative improves both safety and efficiency on these complex work sites by increasing the levels of support and collaboration throughout the entire duration of the development process. Participants who register for the Major Projects Development Program receive dedicated one-on-one DOB consultation services from knowledgeable staff, helping them to avoid costly delays and inefficiencies.

Improving Elevator Inspection Times: In Spring 2025, DOB launched the Elevator Third Party Inspection Program, allowing approved elevator agencies to perform acceptance tests for new elevator installations, alterations, or modernization projects. Implementation of this program has already resulted in cutting the average wait time for a development elevator inspection in half, from approximately 60 days to 30 days citywide. The project also frees up DOB elevator’s unit to more quickly respond to elevator-related complaints and incidents.

Supporting Small Businesses and Small Homeowners

Reducing Burdensome Penalties for Small Businesses: In order to help the burgeoning entrepreneurs and small business owners that are the backbone of the city’s economic growth economy, DOB took steps in 2022 to implement the Mayor’s “Small Business Forward” initiative. As part of the initiative, DOB reduced the penalties for common violations issued to small businesses, and made them curable, giving small business owners the opportunity to correct the noncompliant conditions to avoid receiving any penalties at all.

More Help For Small Businesses: To help small businesses receive the dedicated support they need to get off the ground, the Department created the Small Business Team (SBT) initiative in 2022, which provides free one-on-one guidance for planned and ongoing construction projects associated with small businesses. The program provides small businesses with a single point of contact for questions about planned projects, existing regulations, and permit requirements.

Bringing Expertise to Your Doorstep: In 2023, DOB rolled out the "DOB in Your Community" outreach program, strengthening the agency’s commitment to engage directly with the public closer to where they live. The program sets up temporary DOB offices in local community centers and neighborhood meeting places in all five boroughs, providing members of the public who live in distant neighborhoods a more convenient location to meet with DOB experts to address their buildings-related issues. 

Helping Owners Resolve Violations: Over the past several years, DOB has doubled down on efforts to help building owners resolve open DOB-issued summonses through the “Get Summonses Corrected” campaign. Spearheaded by DOB’s Administrative Enforcement Unit (AEU), this campaign combines virtual resources and numerous in-person events across all five boroughs to educate and guide the public in addressing open violations.  Through extensive outreach, the Get Summonses Corrected team and have successfully resolved more than 9,894 DOB-issued OATH summonses, 29 percent of which were classified as immediately hazardous. 

Expanded Summer No-Penalty Inspection Program: To provide more opportunities to building owners to come into compliance with city regulations, DOB expanded the free, no-penalty summer inspection program, allowing members of the public to request a DOB inspection of equipment and structural elements of their properties without risk of violations. Property owners who participate in the program get an expert opinion from DOB on potential repair projects and guidance on applicable legal requirements, giving them important information before they reach out to a construction professional to start the repair process.

Innovation:

Embracing Innovation to Improve Our City: Under this Administration, DOB has worked to push the envelope on utilizing cutting edge technologies for the public good. In 2024, DOB launched the inaugural Buildings Tech Lab, a groundbreaking public-private collaboration with the Partnership Fund for New York City to find, evaluate, and test innovative technology solutions for use inside of DOB. Also in 2024, DOB launched the Innovation Review Board that looks for industry stakeholders to help evaluate cutting-edge technologies that can potentially be used in the construction and development sectors in New York City.

Improving Accessibility for All New Yorkers: In an effort to build a more inclusive city for all New Yorkers, DOB worked alongside our partners at HPD to launch the city’s first-ever Accessibility Innovation Challenge that invited architects, engineers, and accessibility experts to submit their ideas to improve future of accessibility in the five boroughs. The ideas to open the city up to New Yorkers of all abilities, will be reviewed by a panel of judges drawn from government agencies and industry experts. Winning ideas will be announced in 2026 and could potentially could lead to changes to the city’s Construction Codes.