The sidewalk shed outside the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Kips Bay. The shed has been up for over 15 years but has finally been taken down. Image Credit: Google Maps.
On August 28, 2024, the New York City Department of Buildings announced the oldest permitted sidewalk shed at a City-owned building is being disassembled. The 329-linear-foot shed was in front of the Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) at 520 First Avenue in Kips Bay for over 15 years. The shed is being removed after unsafe facade conditions were finally resolved.
The Office of Chief Medical Examiners is anticipating the opening of the Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) Kips Bay in 2031. When that occurs, the services currently located at 520 First Avenue will move to the new location. The sidewalk shed was removed and assessments will be conducted to keep the 64-year-old masonry building in good condition. The removal of this shed brings the total of long-standing sheds, sheds up five or more years, down during year one of the “Get Sheds Down” initiative to 268, among which 14 have been city-owned.
The “Get Sheds Down” program is a nine-point initiative that focuses on returning sidewalk space to New Yorkers, improving public safety by reducing possible injury from unwanted sidewalk sheds, and beautifying current sheds. The City is bringing design teams to deliver six new better-looking, more cost-efficient designs for pedestrian safety equipment. This multi-agency effort encompasses reassessing the sheds in front of New York City properties, including 43 actively permitted long-standing sidewalk sheds. More on this initiative can be found here.
Part of the “Get Sheds Down” program is the “Local Law 11” facade inspection regulations study. This study brings private property owners to court to penalize sheds not be maintained and not following safety instructions provided to them by the Department of Buildings.
The New York City Department of Buildings provides City agencies technical assistance and guidance to prioritize repair projects. This improves public safety by allowing for the partial or full removal of sidewalk sheds and determining whether sidewalk sheds can be replaced with facade containment. Facade containment was recently done with the New York City Department of Buildings and City Department of Citywide Administrative Services at the Queens Supreme Courthouse building.
The New York City Council is currently considering legislation that provide the Department of Buildings new enforcement tools to compel building owners to complete facade repairs and remove unneeded sidewalk sheds.
Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said, “As we get sidewalk sheds down citywide, we need to be the change we want to see. That starts with the shed that’s darkened the doorway of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for over 15 years. The people who walk through the doors at OCME are frequently in profound need — or serve people who are. By maintaining this building we show respect to the work done inside, as we continue to fire on all cylinders to get sheds down.”
Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom said, “Today’s announcement marking the removal of the longest standing sidewalk shed at a publicly owned building in the city shows our administration’s commitment to working through the interagency process to improve the everyday experience of people walking by OCME’s headquarters and so many other spaces across the city. Thank you to OCME, an agency comprised of skilled and compassionate professionals, for their work to make this action possible.”
By: Chelsea Ramjeawan (Chelsea is the CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2025.)