Bed-Stuy Has Over 100 Active Sidewalk Scaffolding Shed Permits

BED-STUY, NY — Bed-Stuy has over 100 active sidewalk shed scaffolding permits, some of which date back to 2016, according to Buildings department data.

On Monday, city leaders came together to announce a plan to rid the unsightly sheds and scaffolding from city streets in a more timely manner.

“We have nearly 400 miles of scaffolding in New York City, taking up public space that belongs to New Yorkers," said Mayor Eric Adams.

And in Bed-Stuy, four permits were over five years old. A permit still active near MacDougal Street and Mother Gaston Boulevard, in the Ocean Hill NYCHA development, was Bed-Stuy's oldest, first issued in October 2016.

The MacDougal Street scaffolding was not Bed-Stuy's only old permit. An active permit near DeKalb Avenue and Stuyvesant Street, in NYCHA's Roosevelt development, was issued in October 2017, property records show.

Another permit issued in 2017 remained active near Dekalb and Franklin avenues, near the Lafayette housing development.

While it is rarely the case, a sidewalk shed permit being active does not necessarily mean there is a shed standing at the location, as occasionally there is a delay in the Department of Building's tracking.

Across New York City, sidewalks are encumbered by about 9,000 active, permitted construction sheds that claim more than 2 million linear feet, the new shady shed data show.

Other parts of Brooklyn saw far more permits. Brooklyn's oldest scaffolding permit sat nearby in Crown Heights outside Kings County Hospital — a permit dating back to 2011.

The city's mitigation efforts announced Monday would initially focus on Downtown Brooklyn, authorities announced.

"Downtown Brooklyn, like much of New York City, is beset by sidewalk sheds that have far outstayed their welcome — creating dark, dirty, and unsafe spaces that pedestrians actively avoid and that are disastrous for our businesses,” said Regina Myer, president, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership.