REPORT STALLED PROJECTS TO CITY

with the number of dormant west side projects increasing during the economic slowdown, owners of construction sites may need to notify the city when development will be suspended or resumed. council member gale brewer sponsored a bill with her east side colleague jessica lappin that would force developers to keep the department of buildings abreast of major scheduling changes. the legislation would also require developers to create a detailed plan for maintaining safety so that sites can be monitored by the department. currently, when work stops for 12 months, permits lapse. during this period in between construction, the sites are not always well maintained in a way that protects the public, brewer said. there are several large developments on the west side where construction has stalled, including one on west 96th street between amsterdam avenue and broadway, where a trailer has backed up traffic on the busy street. "i worry about debris and safety now that it is somewhat completed, but not done," brewer said.