BY RACHEL HOLLIDAY SMITH
A controversial Upper West Side
building is back under construction
— just two weeks after its
developer vowed to halt work under the
state’s coronavirus PAUSE order.
The city Department of Buildings
gave permission to the developers of 200
Amsterdam Ave. — the tower a judge in
February said must be downsized by as
many as 20 stories — to continue “emergency
work,” according to an email to a
local offi cial from the agency obtained by
THE CITY.
Workers were back at the site as of
Thursday, according to an inspection by
the buildings department, the email said.
“The 200 Amsterdam Avenue location
was approved for additional emergency
work for the issues of potential safety
and health concerns due to wind forces,
damage to partially installed equipment,
and water infi ltration of the incomplete
building envelope,” the message from
DOB read.
The green light from the city comes as
the state has lifted restrictions on allowed
construction after its virtual complete
shutdown of development in March. The
City grants work permits for embattled
200 Amsterdam Ave. tower
number of job sites allowed to continue
with work ballooned sixfold from 800 on
April 3 to 4,936 as of April 22, THE CITY
found.
By Friday, the number of sites had increased
again, to 5,091, according to the
department’s list of approved projects.
‘Ramping up Work’
The developer of 200 Amsterdam, SJP
Properties, said it “will be slowly ramping
up work beginning with approximately 15
workers,” increasing that number to 45
workers by next week “in order to follow
appropriate social distancing protocols,”
according to a construction update emailed
to the Upper West Side community
Wednesday.
“This represents approximately 8-10%
of those typically on-site prior to the coronavirus
outbreak,” the message from the
developer read.
The developers said the site received
permits to work on exterior walls, mechanical
and electrical rooms, elevators
and waterproofi ng.
In a statement, SJP spokesperson Andrew
Koreyva said the health and safety
of workers “is vital and will be closely
monitored in strict adherence to DOB
protocols.”
An artist’s rendering of the top of the planned building at 200 Amsterdam. GRAPHIC: 200 AMSTERDAM /FACEBOOK
“Every crew member will be provided
with personal protective equipment, have
their temperatures checked when entering
the site, and be directed to abide by
required social distancing rules,” he said.
The DOB defended the work as necessary,
saying the developer “produced credible
concerns” about the effect of wind on
the building’s incomplete facade.
“It is understood that when the exterior
wall is incomplete, there are wind tunnels
through the interior of the building …
which can destabilize sections and create
a potential safety problem,” the message
from the agency read.
Andrew Rudansky, Department of
Buildings spokesperson, said in a statement
that the agency has “a stringent review process
in place to only approve emergency
work that is in the interest of public safety.”
“In these unprecedented times, we must
make sure work sites that are paused do not
become a safety hazard over time,” he said.
“If we fi nd any work does not meet that
defi nition, we will shut it down.”
Skeptical Neighbors
Neighbors and local elected offi cials are
irate about the exception — and cast doubts
on SJP’s contention the unfi nished building
is unsafe.
In a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio sent
Friday, West Side leaders underscored
that SJP did not stop work at the site
until April 9. The West Side Rag previously
reported the fi rm was one of the
last companies to shut down construction
in the area.
“Why did SJP close its site two weeks
ago if outstanding emergency electrical
and exterior work truly existed? How did
these serious concerns become an emergency
only yesterday?” the letter read.
Offi cials asked the mayor to “revoke
all permits related to construction at 200
Amsterdam immediately.”
“This site has been operating on a
public trust defi cit for years,” they said
in the letter, signed by seven offi cials, including
Comptroller Scott Stringer, Rep.
Jerry Nadler, Assemblymembers Linda
Rosenthal and Richard Gottfried, State
Senator Brad Hoylman, Councilmember
Helen Rosenthal and Manhattan Borough
President Gale Brewer.
The Amsterdam Avenue development
has long drawn the ire of some Upper
West Side neighbors, leading to a court
battle over whether SJP had illegally exploited
land rules to boost the height of
the planned residential building.
‘Utter Contempt’
That fi ght led to a February ruling by a
State Supreme Court judge ordering that
as many as 20 fl oors should be removed
from the tower. Since then, the city’s Law
Department has appealed the ruling —
while the city’s buildings department said
it would close the zoning loophole used by
the developer at 200 Amsterdam.
Rosenthal says SJP’s recent move is the
latest in a series of actions that shows “utter
contempt for the community and the law.”
“The judge in the case said ‘Take down at
least 20 stories’ and, sure, they’re appealing
it, but that is the decision that stands right
now,” she said. “Instead, they’re like ‘Let’s
get back to work.’ How is this essential?”
Olive Freud, the Upper West Sider who
has led the charge against SJP in court
through her group Committee for Environmentally
Sound Development, said the
tower is blocking out sun and light, “leaving
us in the shadows.”
“The only thing they should be doing on
that lot is taking down the excess height,”
she said.
This story was fi rst published on April
24, 2020 by THE CITY, an independent,
nonprofi t news organization dedicated
to hard-hitting reporting that serves the
people of New York.
Schneps Media April 30, 2020 3