Residential building permit filings in the city doubled in 2014 from the year before according to a report by New York YIMBY. Applications were filed for 44,825 units, including 17 buildings over 500 feet tall, which, the report noted, is almost as many as those over that height in Boston or San Francisco now, total. In fact, 2014 permits were marked generally by larger buildings and more units per building than the year before. YIMBY also noted that 2014 filings may have been accelerated by changes to the building code that were supposed to go into effect in October and were delayed until December. New code requirements could require more space for fewer units to meet ventilation and accessibility requirements.
Governor Cuomo promised $440 million more for affordable housing in his combined State of the State and Budget presentation Wednesday. The funds come from a JP Morgan mortgage settlement and are included in the Human Services section of the presentation. The Governor also earmarked about $150 million to assist proposed transit oriented development such as the General Motors site in Sleepy Hollow and locations on Long Island, and again proposed extension of the Brownfields tax credit with significant changes.
NAHB hosted the International Builders Show in Las Vegas this week and while most of the exhibits were familiar products for single family homes, a couple caught the eye of apartment developers. Schlage and Kwikset are both offering variations of Bluetooth linked door locks that open when they recognize a tenant’s phone or fob — no key or key press required. The technology offers a web interface that permits tracking a history of who came in or out of the unit. Another tech innovation that attracted attention, on a much lower scale, was a replacement switchplate from Snap Power that acts as a nightlight or guidelight without using a socket.
ABO member Josh Sarett of ALC Environmental is warning mixed use building owners that hundreds if not thousands of buildings have failed to file required Right to Know reports with the City Department of Environmental Protection. The law requires disclosure if any of a long list of hazardous chemicals was on site for even one day. New reports are due March 1.
Join us for an important Energy Market Forecast and discussion of What It Means For Your Energy Buying Strategy, with Thomas Devlin, Director, ABO-FS Energy Services , 4:15 p.m., Thursday, February 26, 2015 at the Club 101, 101 Park Avenue, New York, NY. Please RSVP to associatedbuilders@abogny.com