Non-essential construction may resume Monday, June 8, 2020 pursuant to the Governor’s New York Forward plan Phase 1. 32,000 construction sites are expected to reopen on Monday.

While the DOB has not yet released any specific guidance on construction restarting, Mayor de Blasio did discuss construction during his press conference this morning.

DOB inspectors will be visiting construction sites to ensure that all safety requirements and regulations are met. Mayor de Blasio advised that enforcement during the first month of construction reopening will be an educational campaign and no fines will be issued. After 30 days, DOB inspectors will be enforcing non-compliance, including Stop Work Orders with a $5,000 penalty. Subsequent violations will carry a $10,000 penalty.

Safety requirements include:

• 6 feet of social distancing
• Face coverings when work requires less than 6 feet of separation
• Hygiene and hand washing stations
• Visible COVID-19 signage and worker rights
• Cleaning and disinfection logs
• Updated logs of every worker in close contact with others on-site to facilitate contact tracing

The DOB and DOH have jointly published Industry Best Practices for Social Distancing Guidelines for Construction Sites, be sure to review carefully to ensure compliance.

All sites which are resuming construction must ensure that all work permits are active. For assistance with initial permits, permit renewals, and after hour variances please contact our office.

See our newsletter from earlier this week regarding New York Empire State Development’s (ESD) updated guidance on construction staging.