Articles

    New Hurdles in TCO Process

    The path to renewing a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy may be getting more difficult. The complication deals with public Assembly Permits, which must be renewed and recognized as current by the FDNY.

    We’ve learned that the Construction Division will no longer sign off on a Construction Renewal if there is a Public Assembly Permit on any floors other than the one up for a TCO, where a Public Assembly Permit is outstanding.

    This change seems to trigger a “Catch 22” for certain situations. For example, consider a hotel which had a Construction Inspection to renew a Construction Sign-off after 18 months but an inactive Public Assembly permit. According to the new change, this means there’s no Construction Sign-off. Without an active TCO, how can a Public Assembly permit be renewed?

    If a project is concluding on a 1st floor space, why should it get penalized for an unrelated Public Assembly issue on the 25th floor?

    It seems like this rule needs a closer inspection and a modification of its own.

    Posted By Brian Lafferty