The Department of Buildings has unvield a new, interactive map showing the location of all 1,056 building construction projects across New York City where DOB has issued permits allowing construction work to proceed outside of normal business hours.
The map, which is updated daily, includes links to the Department’s Buildings Information System (BIS) public database, which has further information about these permits, including what type of work is being performed, the hours of the permitted work, and the reason why the after-hours permits were granted.
The new map will give members of the public a tool to confirm whether construction projects on their block have the proper permits to work at nights and on weekends.
An after-hours variance (AHV) permit is required to perform any building construction work in New York City before 7:00 am, after 6:00 pm, or on the weekend.
“This real-time map will provide New Yorkers with greater transparency about after-hours construction in their neighborhoods, and give the public a new data-driven tool to determine whether the work they see or hear has the proper permits,” said Buildings Commissioner Melanie E. La Rocca.
“Our principal concern in regulating construction is the safety of everyone who lives, visits and works in our city – and After Hours Variance permits are another tool to ensure the safety of all New Yorkers.”
After-hours variances are granted primarily when it’s safer or less disruptive to a neighborhood to perform the work at night or on weekends.
For example, variances are granted for work done near schools or public spaces, for heavy construction work that might require sidewalks to be closed to protect pedestrians, or for work that would cause traffic gridlock if it’s done during the day.
Certain types of work such as concrete pours and adjustments to cranes need to be performed when there is minimal pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the area, or when stopping them midstream may pose a hazard to workers and the public.
In addition to the release of the real-time map, the Department will also be issuing weekly reports on AHV permits to local elected officials and community boards citywide, so that they have relevant data about late night construction going on in their districts.
“When the City adopts real-time models to track performance, it not only makes government more responsive to public concerns, it also fosters a culture of accountability. The After-Hours Variance Map is a powerful new tool that will allow New Yorkers to report violations and be more in-the-know about construction happening in their neighborhood. I applaud the Department of Buildings on this forward-thinking approach, and encourage other agencies to follow suit,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams.
DOB issued 18,866 initial AHV permits in 2018, a 24 percent decrease from the 25,005 initial AHV permits issued in 2012.
In 2018, DOB received 3,729 public complaints through the 311 system regarding
construction work illegally performed after hours.
