New safety standards upset developers

Tension is growing between city officials and the development community over the city's plans to improve construction site safety, following a second construction-related accident at the Trump SoHo over the weekend. The Bloomberg administration halted construction yesterday at the Trump SoHo development project after a dozen glass window panels came crashing down during a rainstorm on Saturday night. The windows were knocked loose by a chain attached to construction equipment on the 26th floor, and the Department of Buildings issued a violation to the contractor, Bovis Lend Lease, for failing to safeguard the public and property.

City's Toughened Stance on Construction Site Safety Raises Ire

The event was the latest in a series of high-profile construction accidents. In the fall the city released statistics showing that 29 laborers died in work-related accidents in the 12 months preceding September 30, a figure which represents a 61% increase over the previous year; the number of safety violations at high-rise construction sites nearly doubled between November 2006 and November 2007.

But representatives within the development community fear that more aggressive oversight by the city could go too far could and have a deleterious effect on an industry that is already facing a weakening economy and a softer credit market.

Photo from Daily News