New York bans nonessential construction amid coronavirus pandemic
Work on infrastructure, hospitals, and affordable housing is still allowed
A high-rise construction site in midtown Manhattan.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has halted most construction statewide in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic sweeping New York, following outcry from workers and lawmakers when the industry was largely unaffected by .
Under the new directive, most residential and commercial construction is suspended, the governor announced Friday. Some crucial work, including on infrastructure, hospitals, and affordable housing, along with emergency repairs, will be permitted.
鈥淲e鈥檙e closing down nonessential construction sites,鈥� Cuomo said at a Friday press conference. 鈥淪ome construction is essential to keep the place running, but nonessential construction is going to stop.鈥�
Initially, all construction in the state was classified as 鈥溾�� and exempt from the state鈥檚 PAUSE order, which mandates all nonessential workers stay home. , the state declared that 鈥渁ll nonessential construction must shut down except emergency construction.鈥� Those who violate the new rule could face fines up to $10,000, according to city and state officials.
In certain emergency circumstances, nonessential construction may move forward, such as to continue a project if it would be unsafe to allow it to remain unfinished.
The order puts the kibosh on entirely luxury residential and office construction, but still permits work on apartment buildings with a majority of market rate units. by the city鈥檚 Department of Buildings notes that construction is allowed on buildings where no less than 30 percent of the apartments are below-market rate or on projects that include 鈥攁 zoning mechanism that mandates either 25 or 30 percent of a building鈥檚 units be set aside as below market rate.
鈥淎nything that is not directly part of the essential work of fighting coronavirus and the essential work of keeping the city running and the state running, and any construction that is not about the public good, is going to end,鈥� Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday on WNYC鈥檚 The Brian Lehrer Show. 鈥淪o luxury condos will not be built until this is over, office buildings are not going to be built.鈥�
Cuomo鈥檚 shift follows reports that construction had continued on sites where workers . Some sites, including , temporarily stalled work due to sick workers.
As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases ballooned statewide, lawmakers criticized the governor and the mayor for allowing work on high-end apartments and office space to endanger the health of workers and their families.
City Council members Carlos Menchaca and Brad Lander, along with Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and were pleased to see the state amended its guidance on non-essential building.
鈥淭his is the right call,鈥� Menchaca said in a statement. 鈥淚鈥檓 glad the Governor finally heard the voices of construction workers who refused to stay silent while their health was being sacrificed for profits.鈥�
Earlier this month Carlo Scissura, the president of the New York Building Congress, called a construction moratorium a 鈥�,鈥� but in a Friday interview he said the updated guidance 鈥渋s a good policy鈥� that still allows for a host of crucial city projects to move forward.
鈥淚 think what we鈥檝e said from day one is that the health and safety of workers is paramount,鈥� says Scissura. 鈥淚 think this is a good policy, and hopefully, we鈥檒l just be shut down for a few weeks.鈥�
James Whelan, the president of the Real Estate Board of New York, echoed those comments. 鈥淲e agree that the health and safety of New Yorkers remains the top priority,鈥� he said in a statement. 鈥淭hese are challenging times and REBNY will continue to support all efforts to address the City鈥檚 needs for public health and future economic growth.鈥�