Harlem Construction Site Fined $20K For Safety Violations

HARLEM, NY — The superintendent at a Harlem condominium building under construction was hit with a $20,000 fine in July for a number of safety violations, the city announced Monday.

In April 2019, inspectors from the Department of Buildings visited 26 West 127th Street, the site of the new six-story building.

At the site, inspectors found that there was no superintendent present, that the work site log book had not been properly filled out, and that workers at the scene did not have required safety training cards, DOB spokesperson Lisa Wood said.

Inspectors also found that the building cellar lacked proper work site egress, that there were no reports on site for monitoring adjacent buildings for vibrations caused by construction, that the fence around the site was loose, that there was no permit for a temporary power system being used, that barriers at street level were not filled with water as required, and other "inadequate housekeeping practices throughout the site," Wood said.

The DOB issued a stop work order at the site and held a hearing in July, where the $20,000 in penalties was issued to the construction superintendent, Joel Kahan.

Formerly the site of Mount Zion Baptist Church, permits were filed with the city in 2017 to demolish the three-story building at the address and build a new six-story, 12-unit building in its place. Real estate listings advertise condominiums soon to be for sale at the building, slated to be completed this year.