Sidewalk Sheds in NYC: A Prolonged Eyesore

New York City stands out as a leading offender in its professed effort to eliminate an abundance of unnecessary sidewalk sheds across the city.

The Civic Center area, located near the Municipal Building, has become somewhat of an embarrassment. Despite City Hall’s rallying cry to “Get sheds down,” numerous city-owned scaffolds clutter Duane, Chambers, Reade, and Elk Streets, seemingly there for an eternity.

Among the offenders are the historic Surrogate Court at 31 Chambers St and the imposing structure at 22 Reade St, which ironically houses the Department of City Planning.

One particularly large shed has loomed over 2 Lafayette St since 2014. It creates a dark, tunnel-like environment that attracts unsavory activities, including drug dealing and public defecation. This shed also obstructs the entrances to a subway station and a nearby building at 52 Duane St, a family-operated office space that has featured prominently in several well-known TV shows.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently inaugurated a “Jobs NYC Center” at 2 Lafayette. However, like his predecessors Eric Adams and Bill de Blasio, Mamdani’s administration has not shown any urgency in addressing serious safety violations noted by the Department of Buildings on both the building and the shed.

Current Department of Buildings records indicate there are four violations for the shed and an additional six related to the building’s “unsafe” facade, with total unpaid fines reaching $194,000. Disturbingly, inspection records dating back twelve years reveal that previously cited violations often disappear, only to be replaced by new ones.

This ongoing situation has incited frustration from Michael Salzhauer, whose family has owned 52 Duane since the 1970s. “If a private entity endangered public safety like this, there would likely be severe penalties or even criminal charges,” noted lawyer Blair Axel, representing the Salzhauer family.

After persistent efforts, the owners of 52 Duane finally received a communication from the city last week indicating they want to start planning facade repairs. Still, Axel expressed skepticism about when actual work might begin, suspecting it could be a lengthy process.

There seems to be some movement towards accountability, with Councilmember Christopher Marte’s office showing a degree of concern for the issue, which has, according to Salzhauer, prompted at least some level of response from the Department of Buildings.

When questioned about the prolonged presence of the shed, a spokesman from the Buildings Department directed inquiries to other agencies. A representative from the Department of Citywide Administrative Services stated that the sheds remain due to the condition of the facade they are protecting.

Meanwhile, the Department of Design and Construction, overseeing a facade restoration project for DCAS, mentioned that they are nearing the end of the design phase and look forward to commencing repair work soon.