Fighting Adification of Scaffolding

State Assemblymember Scott Stringer and State Senator Tom Duane want the city to crackdown on illegal outdoor advertising, specifically on the sidewalk shed scaffolding. They call it damaging to quality of life, Gothamist sort of agrees, as we stumble when we're trying to figure out what the ugly ass ad's message is trying to be (We get it, Song, you're almost as good as JetBlue!), but we rather the scaffolding smell less like piss. String said, "This is now the new black market of commercial advertising," but sometimes buildings obtain permits for the ads. One co-op board president says, "They offer you a tremendous amount of money, which is intoxicating." If Gothamist was in a co-op where there was scaffolding and ads, we'd be wondering if our charges were much less. And if the building would get free samples of the product advertised, like a free car.

What do you think of these outdoor ads? Gothamist on the proliferation of ads downtown and the illegal H&M ad on the Flatiron. And Newsday has outdoor advertising fever, as they examine a new billboard for the late Rabbi Schneerson.

Photograph from Newsday

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on August 8, 2005 10:50 AM

Comments [rss]

lawhawk

The scaffolding issue runs concurrent with at least two other issues, the regulation of billboards, safety, and taxes. There's been a question over how long some of those scaffolds are actually necessary to make the necessary repairs, as opposed to being cash cows for landlords who see them as an additional source of income.

The City implemented new billboard regulations in 2003, but hasn't exactly been able to crack down on them, and the scaffolding spaces probably fall under that area as well.

Then, there's the issue of taxes. Politicians in New York may take a cue from New Jersey, which instituted a billboard assessment fee on billboards. There's money in them thar scaffolding ads.

Frankly, I don't have a problem with the scaffolding art as long as the scaffolding is safe and secure, and doesn't stay up any longer than it has to.

lawhawk

The scaffolding issue runs concurrent with at least two other issues, the regulation of billboards, safety, and taxes. There's been a question over how long some of those scaffolds are actually necessary to make the necessary repairs, as opposed to being cash cows for landlords who see them as an additional source of income.

The City implemented new billboard regulations in 2003, but hasn't exactly been able to crack down on them, and the scaffolding spaces probably fall under that area as well.

Then, there's the issue of taxes. Politicians in New York may take a cue from New Jersey, which instituted a billboard assessment fee on billboards. There's money in them thar scaffolding ads.

Frankly, I don't have a problem with the scaffolding art as long as the scaffolding is safe and secure, and doesn't stay up any longer than it has to.

Marvin

Do you guys still hate the scaffolding when it's raining?

Kevin Walsh

The ads, I don't mind, but the scaffolding, it seems, goes up for months, and in some cases, I never see any work being done on the building.

There are some terra cotta tiles on a building at 6th and 22nd I need to shoot for

www.forgotten-ny.com

and the !@#$in' building's been scaffolded for a year and a half...

Emma

People like the ads if they are good. The recent CourtTv campaign has just got spoofed.

http://www.rm116.com/adcenter/2005/08/courttv_ii.html

full campaign see, http://www.rm116.com/adcenter/2005/08/trollbck_co_cou.html

Brightliner

Face it, sidewalk sheds on every third block are a fact of life in Manhattan. Might as well add some color and verve to them while they're up.

hr

Something tells me this is a big shakedown for a couple of politicians looking for handouts from some of these advertisers and scaffolding companies.

angrywayne

I've noticed that there are several buildings that have put up scaffolding, that don't seem to have any work being done on their buildings. For example, there is a building on the south-west corner of Grand St. and Broadway in SOHO that has a scaffolding where Bacardi is blaring an ad, yet the only construction is across the street.

Dave H.

I think building owners should be able to do whatever the hell they want with their properties, but another incentive to keep scaffolding up is a crime against the cityscape. Threat of crumbling facades and attendant lawsuits spur many management companies to erect semi-permanent scaffolding that really mars a building's appearance. Workers just removed the scaffolding that's surrounded the building I work in, exposing this bit of architectural embellishment after being hidden for the past three years. There should be a sunset provision to scaffolding permits. Cause should be demonstrated for their construction and they shouldn't be allowed to remain unless steps are underway to ameliorate the problem they were put in place for. Ads are the least of our problems.

Don

If my co-op could get, say, $5000 for scaffolding, then hell yeah we'd do it in an instant.

But my guess is that it's the scaffolding companies who make the money.

e

I could see if this went through then buildings would have permanent fake scaffolding to get the extra money and pretty soon the whole city would be all scaffolding. hee hee