New data from the Department of Buildings show that New York City construction has reached a record high with 88,838 permits issued over Q1 to Q3 of 2017, surpassing the previous high in the spring and summer of 2016.
On Nov. 15, the department published a report titled NYC Construction Dashboard with graphics and maps reflecting number of permits issued for new buildings, demolitions and renovations in different areas of the city.
According to Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler, the report is a part of the department’s modernization efforts. It also intends to help inspectors identify which areas have the most issues or injuries.
The data indicates most of the construction activity in 2017 has been happening in Midtown below Central Park, with 13,098 permits issued in the first three quarters.
The numbers were confirmed by locals who have witnessed an influx of new high-rise residential buildings in their neighborhood. “We see there is construction on every block,” said Layla Law-Gisikio, chair of Manhattan Community Board 5’s Landmarks Committee and Central Park Sunshine Task Force.
Upper East side follows suit with the second highest record, 6,832 construction permits issued over Q1 to Q3 2017. Ben Kallos, the area’s councilman, also verified the data saying that he receives daily complaints about overdevelopment. He worries the city is not ready for overpopulation brought on by rapid construction of new buildings.
“They don’t have the school seats we need for the people living here and moving here,” Kallos said.
DOB data also includes statistics from 2016 revealing Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island as the areas posting the highest level of construction activity.
