Earlier this week, the City Council met with Department of Buildings officials to discuss legislation that would increase the safety standards of NYC elevators. Spurred by the horrifying deaths of Midtown advertising executive Suzanne Hart in December and elevator mechanic Ed Bradley last month, Council Member Erik Martin Dilan's bill is a two part push to ensure safety through a tighter licensing standard and the modernization of technological equipment. It would call for elevator mechanics to have five plus years of work experience, an apprenticeship program, and certification examinations. Because as Councilman Peter Vallone pointed out, "Right now, my Cousin Vinny could be working on an elevator." more ›

Yesterday, the Department of Buildings revealed that it conducted an undercover investigation of illegal apartment conversions—the agency's investigators went to Craigslist's rental sections, posed as potential tenants, and found "illegal living conditions in 54 of the 62 rental apartments inspected, including fire safety hazards such as inadequate means of egress, untested gas lines and single-room occupancies with locks on individual rooms." The agency showed a tape of one of those residences and issued ten tips for renters. more ›

This morning, a 28-year-old construction worker fell 9 stories from a building at 420 Park Avenue (at 29th Street) and was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital. The worker had landed on scaffolding of a neighboring building. CityRoom reports that, according to the Department of Buildings, it didn't appear that worker was wearing a harness and that the DOB would probably issues citations later. The 420 Park Avenue is the future home of the Gansevoort Park, a 19th story hotel run by the same group as the Gansevoort Hotel in the Meatpacking District. more ›