The city’s deputy mayor, Meera Joshi, railed against the sidewalk canopies and scaffolding in all five wards.
“Today, scaffolding is soulless, green and made of steel. It obscures one of our city’s most important public assets – our sidewalks – and all too often it blocks our view of the businesses hidden beneath,” Joshi said.
City officials, including Mayor Eric Adams, announced a new study Wednesday that found the sheds cost Manhattan businesses thousands of dollars each month.
The survey found that restaurants in Manhattan can lose over $9,000 in revenue each month.
“As the survey shows, restaurants and bars are the hardest hit,” said Adams. “In fact, restaurants and bars see a decline in weekly sales of up to 10% in the six months following a lockdown.”
The Scaffolding Act was introduced in 1980 after a Barnard College student was killed by a splinter from a siding. Scaffolding inspections are required every five years, and some building owners leave them up only between inspections.
The survey is being conducted against the backdrop of the city council considering a legislative initiative aimed at speeding up the demolition of the sheds.
“We are looking at a new penalty system so that if someone is on it too long and doesn’t show any work, we will increase the penalties,” said City Councilman Keith Powers, who has introduced a bill to reform scaffolding laws.
“We are all also looking at a program where we might provide financial assistance, low-interest loans or something else to buildings that are really in trouble and can’t afford the work to help them get the work done so the scaffolding can be taken down,” he added.
While sheds are a common sight in New York City, they are a nuisance to business owners who want to get rid of them.
“It hurts businesses. If you’re working on a building, OK, I can understand that. Build it, but don’t build it for a year and a half or two years and do nothing,” said Rohi Raffii, who owns a store in Midtown.
Raffii told NY1 that the scaffolding in front of her store had caused public safety issues.
On Wednesday afternoon, at least one person was seen near their store.
“Do you know how often I clean up in front of my shop because that’s where I did my business. I mean, it’s terrible because you hide a little bit here and people do what they want,” Raffii said. “After 11 o’clock, it’s like a hotel on the street.”
