Scaffolding is a common eyesore in the Bronx and the city as a whole.
“I never really thought about why it was there, because here in the Bronx it’s so normal compared to other parts of the city,” Yalitza Sabio said.
While scaffolding and sidewalk canopies are necessary to protect people and workers during construction, a new study by Mastercard and the city has found that they actually cost businesses money. According to Mayor Eric Adams, the study found that restaurants and bars see a 10% drop in weekly sales in the six months after a canopy is installed.
Adams and the City Council are working on a new bill that would massively expand the Get Sheds Down program, which was launched last July to monitor the construction of sheds. Under the new law, the mayor said, they would push for better lighting, a limited number of permits and stricter penalties for property owners who maintain their sheds instead of repairing them.
“Upon closer analysis, it is clear that while the shelters were erected to keep people safe, they are still standing because it is cheaper for the building owners to leave them standing than to repair the buildings,” said Mayor Adams.
Since the initiative was launched, scaffolding has been dismantled over a length of 288 kilometers throughout the city, according to the city.
There is scaffolding on both sides of the Grand Concourse at 161st Street. The executive director of the 161st Street BID says the scaffolding has been there for at least two years.
“We’ve had some complaints about some properties here in our BID that have been there for years. People just want their neighborhood back and for everything to look better than it currently does,” said Trey Jenkins, executive director of the 161st Business Improvement District.
