Jersey City Moves Forward With Building Inspections

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Jersey City is moving forward with its plan to secure and maintain residential structures after the city council approved an ordinance last month for building inspections.

The legislation came in response to the Florida condo collapse that gripped headlines and captured the nation's attention. At last month's city council meeting, the council approved an ordinance introduced by Mayor Steven Fulop that offered enhanced mandates and required ongoing inspections at a minimum of every five years for façade inspections and every ten years for structural inspections.

The new legislation amends Jersey City's Property Maintenance Codes to strengthen the requirements set forth for all residential and non-residential building owners and managers to ensure buildings are adequately maintained and structurally sound.

The legislation was especially important in Jersey City since the city is home to nine of the top ten tallest buildings in the state. Some of the sky-high towers in Jersey City include 99 Hudson Street, which is 79-stories. Jersey City's tallest residential building, Journal Squared Tower 2, is 70-stories and the URBY Harborside Tower is 69-stories. Another towering building will be added to the list — The Charlotte, located at 25 Christopher Columbus Drive, will be 57-stories tall and hold over 750 apartments.

These highly-sought-after apartments are changing the real estate industry in Jersey City — in April, a penthouse in the 99 Hudson building sold for $3.9 million making it the highest priced residential condo closing in Jersey City history.

"Jersey City has the most high-rise buildings than any other municipality in New Jersey, with various building structures and ages, and so our goal is to strengthen our policies in order to provide the best protection for our residents and the community at large," Mayor Fulop said when the ordinance was introduced.

The amendments address both interior and exterior safety requirements, as follows:

• Structural inspections – All concrete residential and commercial buildings above six stories must perform a visual structural inspection by a licensed third-party engineer at least every ten years. The inspection shall include but not be limited to structural foundations, balconies, any appurtenant structures, all structural members, and waterproofing conditions. A licensed architect or engineer must subsequently prepare a structural report and provide it to the City's Division of Construction Code Official.

• Façade inspections - Owners of buildings above six stories or with masonry facades of four stories or more must have exterior walls and appurtenances inspected every five years. Additionally, a technical façade report must be submitted to the Division of the Construction Code.