What Reopening Looks like at Construction Sites Around New York City
Real Estate partner, Brendan Schmitt, spoke with the New York Business Journal about the reopening efforts of construction sites as contractors and developers navigate the new guidelines in the age of COVID-19.
In this one-on-one interview, Brendan discussed the biggest current concerns for his clients, long-term impacts of the New York State on Pause, the particulars of recovery in Manhattan and what the future may hold.
In discussing current priorities for his clients, Brendan says, "The big one is what's my liability here, both from the contractors and from the owners. I typically represent almost exclusively owners, so from the owners' perspective, I think the best practice would be, even if it's not your responsibility, take steps to ensure your contractor is reopening responsibly."
Regarding moving forward, Brendan states, "You're seeing some of the projects that people weren't dying to take on get pushed back a little bit [like façade work to comply with Local Law 11 and other construction to comply with Local Law 26]... The macroeconomic environment is going to dictate the appetite for continued building to a much, much greater extent than any kind of regulations related to the actual resumption of work."
The full interview can be found on the New York Business Journal website; access may require a subscription.