Officials work on new bill to get scaffolding, sidewalk sheds down
Since the initiative launched, the city says 173 linear miles of scaffolding has been taken down across the city.
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Scaffolding is a common eyesore across the Bronx and the city.
"I never put much thought on why it's there because it's so normal here in the Bronx versus other parts of the city, " said Yalitza Sabio.
While scaffolding and sidewalk sheds are necessary to keep people and workers safe during building construction, a new study by Mastercard and the city found it's actually costing businesses money. According to Mayor Eric Adams, the study found that restaurants and bars are seeing a 10% decrease in weekly transactions in the six months after a shed goes up.
Adams and the City Council are working on a new bill that would aggressively expand the "Get Sheds Down" program. The initiative was first launched last July, to provide oversight on shed construction. Under this new legislation, the mayor says they would push for increased lighting, a limited number of permits and harsher penalties for property owners who keep them up instead of making repairs.
"When you do the analysis, you see sheds may have gone up to keep people safe but it's still up because it's cheaper for building owners to leave them up then to fix buildings," said Mayor Adams.
Since the initiative launched, the city says 173 linear miles of scaffolding has been taken down across the city.
On the Grand Concourse at 161st Street, scaffolding lines both sides of the street. The executive director of the 161st Street BID says it's been up for at least two years.
"We've got some complaints about some properties here in our BID, that just have been up for years, people just want their neighborhood back and for things to look better than they currently are," said Trey Jenkins, executive director of the 161st Business Improvement District.
