Volume 9 | Issue 4: New York City Adopts Revised Definition Of “Major Building”

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New York City has adopted proposed legislation (NYC Intro #2263) which will lower the threshold of what is considered a “Major Building” to seven stories or 75 feet in height. Prior to this legislation, the New York City Building Code defined “Major Building” as a construction site involving an existing or proposed building of ten or more stories or 125 feet in height.

This change will trigger the mandate for the presence of Site Safety Managers or Site Safety Coordinators on new building projects, major alterations and demolitions of buildings meeting the aforementioned criteria. Site Safety Plan approval will also be required for the qualifying projects meeting this new definition.

NYC Intro #2276 has also been enacted which requires DOB-Licensed Construction Superintendents to serve full-time alongside the Site Safety Coordinators or Site Safety Managers at the newly defined Major Building Construction Sites (seven stories or 75 feet in height).

These new regulations go into effect in November of this year so please consider these rules for projects that will be issued permits at that time and moving forward.

We anticipate that DOB will release more information regarding the specific implementation of the above rules and the potential effects that these changes will have on future projects. RPO Inc. will keep you apprised of this information as it becomes available so stay tuned!