City rolls out plan to replace ‘eyesore’ scaffolding with modern designs
Mayor Eric Adams and the Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo unveiled six new designs for sidewalk sheds.
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The city has announced some good news for those tired of walking under the dark, cluttered scaffolds that have plagued several Brooklyn neighborhoods.
Mayor Eric Adams and the Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo unveiled six new designs for sidewalk sheds.
It’s part of an effort to improve streetscape used in construction projects and buildings undergoing facade maintenance.
Whether by day or by night, the metal poles, gated walkways and dark-green overheads have never been a pretty sight by day or by night.
“It hides all the beauty of New York,” said one Brownsville resident. “It really does.”
More than 8,000 of these sidewalk sheds are located across the city.
There are also thousands of long-standing scaffolding that sometimes sticks around for years, with little sign of work being done.
“It’s fine if they’re doing construction,” said one Brownsville business owner.” But a lot of these landlords these days, they put up the safety bars and whatnot, and there’s just a pause.”
As a business owner, he says the green structures also hurt his business.
“Visibility is very slim,” said the business owner. “I mean, it's creating like a little tent on the top. So, all the illegal street vendors come in, and they lay out their tables. It's a bad look and, you know, it brings the bad crowd.”
The city’s new designs blend modern aesthetics and safety for pedestrians during emergency repairs and short or long-term projects.
"For too long, scaffolding and outdated and cumbersome sidewalk sheds have blocked sunlight, hurt small businesses, and cluttered our neighborhoods, but today marks a major step forward in our mission to reimagine New York City’s streetscape,” said Mayor Adams.
Businesses are not the only ones wanting to be seen, but residents in NYCHA buildings say they, too, deserve not to live in the dark.
“I'll be going into the wrong building,” said one resident. “Then when I get up there, I say something looks strange. Then I find out I'm in the wrong building because of the netting and the scaffolding. I get confused.”
In addition to the new designs, the city says new facade inspection guidelines will roll out in 2026.
New enforcement measures include penalties of up to $6,000 for sheds up for longer than 180 days, milestone penalties for owners of FISP buildings who miss repair deadlines and potential legal action for sheds in place longer than three years.
Sidewalk shed permits will be reduced from one year to 90 days, requiring quarterly permit renewals with proof of progress on repair work.
