ICYMI, sidewalk sheds are top of mind for Zohran Mamdani.
Blessedly, the Democratic nominee has not (yet?) introduced his own shed wordplay (however, in a video posted to social media, he did adopt Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine’s call to action, “Shed the Shed”).
But this week, he rolled out a few proposals to put his own stamp on the issue.
His proposals include removing any shed that has sat on a city property for more than three years. To do this, he says he will prioritize funding for the repairs necessary to remove the structures. He also wants to invest in preventative maintenance to ensure that fewer sheds are needed.
It is unclear how much all of that would cost, but the New York Post reported in March that sheds at 130 city-owned properties had been up for more than three years.
Mamdani also wants to double the amount of time between required façade inspections for newer buildings. Such inspections take place every five years; he wants inspections at newer buildings to take place every 10 years.
If this reform sounds familiar, it is because the City Council made a similar change this year, as part of a package of bills aimed at clearing city streets of long-standing sheds. The law required the Department of Buildings to study “the appropriate time period” for such inspections and to recommend a new inspection schedule that shifts the interval from every five years to between six and 12 years. Though the inspection timeline would likely differ depending on building materials and other factors, the law indicated that new buildings should have their first façade inspection eight years after being built, rather than five.
The law gave DOB until the end of December 2025 to provide these recommendations to the City Council. (Notably, if the 10-year rule for new buildings were in place a decade ago, 432 Park Avenue would be coming up on its first required inspection this December.) A DOB spokesperson indicated that the agency is on track to meet that deadline.
Mamdani also indicated this week that he wants to implement “new safer, brighter scaffolding design standards.”
As part of that bill package approved in March, the City Council expanded the permitted color palette for these sheds, but not by much. Instead of just hunter green, the sheds can now be metallic gray, white or “a color matching the façade, trim, cornice, or roof of the building.” The law that allowed more color also required the DOB to study if changes could be made to shed design to “improve the pedestrian experience, including designs that are unobtrusive and aesthetically pleasing, without diminishing the safety of such sidewalk shed.”
That study was due at the end of September. A spokesperson for the DOB said the agency expects to release upgraded designs soon.
Interestingly, Mamdani’s announcement didn’t put much emphasis on ramping up fines or enforcement against property owners with long-term sheds, though he did indicate that he would “aggressively pursue enforcement.” On social media, Mamdani said the Adams administration barely put the City Council’s bills to use. (One law that creates new penalties for owners who do not move forward with repairs in a timely manner, does not go into effect until next year.)
Since the administration launched its “Get Sheds Down” initiative in 2023, 14,593 sheds have been removed from city streets, according to the DOB. Of course, new sheds have also popped up in that time, meaning that the city has seen a net drop of 818 sheds on city streets compared to July 2023.
For his part, Mayor Eric Adams appeared unimpressed by Mamdani’s proposals. He reposted Mamdani’s sidewalk shed announcement on X, adding: “‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, that mediocrity can pay to greatness.’”
What we’re thinking about: Did you watch the second mayoral debate? Send me your reactions at kathryn@therealdeal.com.
A thing we’ve learned: Six groups have joined Yes on Affordable Housing, a coalition that supports the housing-related ballot questions. Asian Americans for Equality, SAGE, Lambda Independent Democrats, Chinatown Partnership, Center for an Urban Future and Eleanor Roosevelt Independent Democrats Club joined the coalition and endorsed the four land use-related ballot questions, the coalition announced this week.
Elsewhere in New York…
— The scene of a federal raid in Chinatown was largely deserted on Wednesday, Gothamist reports. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on Tuesday descended on a stretch of Canal Street where vendors have long sold counterfeit merchandise on the sidewalk. Officials said the raid was “focused on criminal activity relating to selling counterfeit goods” and resulted in the arrest of nine West African immigrants. Another four people were arrested for allegedly assaulting a law enforcement officer, and one person was arrested on charges of obstructing law enforcement by blocking a driveway.
— Assembly member Deborah Glick on Wednesday announced that she will not run for re-election next year. “I don’t believe I could continue to dedicate 100 percent of my energy beyond next year,” she said. Glick has represented parts of Lower Manhattan for 35 years.
— Referencing a scene in the movie “Braveheart” where Mel Gibson’s character is executed (sorry, spoiler, but come on), Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa said he would rather be impaled than quit the mayoral race and work for Andrew Cuomo, Politico New York reports. “If all of a sudden the executioner would have stopped, and I was on that gurney, and [he] said, ‘Hey, you can work for Mayor Andrew Cuomo,’ I would say: ‘Finish the job. Impale me.’ That will never happen,” Sliwa said during a radio interview on WABC.
Closing Time
Residential: The top residential deal recorded Wednesday was a sponsor condominium unit at 53 West 53rd Street in Midtown, developed by Pontiac Land Group and Hines. The buyer was Mansion in NY Corporation, which paid $5.6 million for the pad. The 2,500-square-foot unit, which has been on and off the market for a decade, has three bedrooms and three and a half baths. The unit’s most recent asking price was $7.4 million. Douglas Elliman’s Renee Micheli, Jade Chan, Frances Katzen and Michelle Griffith had the listing.
Commercial: The top commercial deal recorded in the Big Apple was for a 12-square-foot sign. Broadway producer John Gore’s John Gore Organization dropped $12.2 million — over $1 million per square foot — to take over signage at the Brill building at 1619 Broadway in Times Square. Gore earlier this year paid nearly $29 million for six other condos at the historic property. The seller was Mack Real Estate Group.
New to the Market: The highest price for a residential property hitting the market was $12 million for a 3,700-square-foot condo at 720 West End Avenue on the Upper West Side. Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group has the listing.
Breaking Ground: The largest new building permit filed was for a proposed 56,662-square-foot, five-story high school building at 111-32 66 Road in Forest Hills. Michael Freedman of MDSzerbaty Associates Architecture filed the permit on behalf of the New York City School Construction Authority.— Matthew Elo, Mary Diduch
