REAL ESTATE
AND
(Copyright. 1017, by The Record and Guide Co.)
NEW YORK, MARCH 10, 1917
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF BUILDINGS
Marked Increase Last Year as Compared With 1915
—Zoning Resolution One of the Influencing Factors
By HON. ALFRED LUDWIG, Superintendent of Buildings, Manhattan
BUILDING operations in the Borough
of Manhattan showfed a marked in¬
crease in 1916 over 1915. Plans for 564
new buildings, having an estimated cost
of $114,690,145, were filed with the
Bureau; in addition, 3,884 buildings were
altered at an estimated cost of $19,387,-
899. This aggregates a total estimated
expenditure of $134,078,044 for the year,
compared with 1915 an increase of $60,-
405,370, or 82 per cent. The average
cost per building amounted to $203,350,
against $132,213 for 1915.
While the above figures would seem to
indicate that building operations in Man¬
hattan had approached close to a maxi¬
mum, as compared with previous years,
yet sight must not be lost of the fact in
making any comparison that a Targe part
of the increase was caused by reason of
the expected passage by the Board of
Estimate of the Building Zone Resolu¬
tion. This measure has been before the
Board for some time, and as soon as its
passage appeared to be a foregone con¬
clusion, many owners, architects and
others, in order to secure exemption
from its provisions, filed plans for new
structures.
In July the estimated value of build¬
ings for which plans were filed amounted
to $45,472,250, and in June to $16,126,500.
While it is probable that many of the
structures included in the above would
in any event have been erected, yet there
is no doubt that the Zone Resolution
acted as an accelerating force and but
for this latter, owing to the extremely
high cost of all materials entering into
the construction of buildings, it is doubt¬
ful if the year just passed would have
shown any increase in building opera¬
tions over the previous one.
The year 1916 in many respects has
been one of the most eventful years in
the history of the Bureau of Buildings.
Three measures of far-reaching effect
have been added to the laws relating to
building construction.
The first measure to which attention
should be directed is the Lockwood-
Ellenbogen bill, Chapter 503, Laws of
1916, an amendment to the Greater New
York Charter. This act gives exclusive
jurisdiction to the Superintendent of
Buildings over the construction and al¬
teration of buildings, except in so far as
they are affected by the Tenement
House Act; to the Fire Commissioner it
gives jurisdiction over existing buildings,
or in other words the Fire Commis¬
sioner will look after the housekeeping
and the Superintendent of Buildings
after the construction of buildings.
In addition the Act creates a Board of
Standards and Appeals, consisting of tht
Fire Commissioner, the Superintendents
of Buildings of the five boroughs, the
Chief of the unifcrined force of the Fire
Department and six other members ap¬
pointed by the Mayor. One of the latter
is designated Chairman and must devote
his entire time to the duties of the
office. This Board has jurisdiction in
.general over all matters relating to
buildings and appurtenances thereto that
come within the jurisdiction of the Fire
Commissioner and the Superintendents
of Buildings. The functions of tlie In¬
dustrial Commission within (ireater New
York passes to this new Board and the
Commission will exercise no jurisdiction
HON. ALFRED LUDWIG.
hereafter in this city. Power is given to
the Board of Standards and .Appeals to
make rules and regulations for carryin.g
into effect laws (including the Labor
Law), ordinances, rules, etc., relating to
Iniildings and appurtenances thereto. In
general, the powers of the Board arc
broad and in the future will exert a
strong influence to standardize methods
and procedure in the several boroughs,
so that the practice throughout the
Greater City will be uniform.
Personnel of the Board.
The six appointed members of the
Board of Standards and Appeals, with
the Chief of the uniformed force of the
Fire Department, constitute the Board
of Appeals, the Chairman of the former
Board being also Chairman of the lat¬
ter. The Board of .Appeals takes over
in a general way the powers of the
foriner Board of Examiners, which by
this Act went out of existence on Octo¬
ber 1, 1916. The jurisdiction of the new
Board is, however, much greater than
that exercised by the Board of Ex¬
aminers, for whereas appeals to the old
Board were limited to cases involving
an expenditure of $1,000 or more, there
is practically no limitation as to the
value or nature of cases that can be
taken to the new Board of Appeals. All
orders (including violations) issued by
the Superintendent of Buildings can be
appealed excepting only Unsafe Orders.
The object of the Act has been to con¬
solidate, as far as possil)le, in the hands
of two departments the functions former¬
ly exercised by four or more, and to
separate the jurisdictions of the Fire
Department and the Bureau of Buildings,
so as to avoid conflict of authority and
performance of unnecessary work on the
part of the public. Where formerly it
was necessary in practically every case
to file plans with either the Fire Pre¬
vention Bureau or State Labor Depart¬
ment, and occasionally with several
other departiTients, in addition to filing
plans with the Bureau of Buildings, now
it is only necessary to file with the lat¬
ter Bureau, except in case of plans for
tenement houses which still must be
filed with the Tenement House Depart¬
ment for approval.
The second event of importance was
the passage by the Board of Estimate
of the Building Zone Resolution on July
25. 1916. This measure divides the city
into L"se, Height and Area Districts.
The Use Districts restrict as to occu¬
pancy, certain sections being for resi¬
dential use only, others for business and
still otlier sections are unrestricted,
where any occupancy is permitted. In
tlie Height Districts a limitation is put
upon the height to which buildings may
be erected, varying from one to two anct
one-half times the width of the street,
depending on the character of the occu¬
pancy. The Area Districts make pro¬
vision for yards and courts in order to
provide better light, and air.
Possibly no measure that has been en¬
acted in recent years is comparable to¬
il in importance froin a realty point of
view and that its effect upon real estate
especially and upon the city generally
will be widespread and beneficial seems
to be beyond question. Practically for
the first time in the history of this city
a well considered scheme for the regula¬
tion of heights, areas and uses of build¬
ings is in effect.
On' March 14, 1916, the last of the
Articles of the Revised Building Code
went into effect. After more than ten
years of endeavor the revision of the
Building Code is an accomplished fact,
excepting only Article 25, relating to
theatres.
For many years the city was operating
under laws governing building construc¬
tion that in many respects were much
beyond the times, and many attempts
from 1905 to 1916, were made to so re¬
vise the laws as to make them corre¬
spond to the best modern practice; each
attempt proved a failure, however, until
Rudolph P. Miller, former Superintend¬
ent of Buildings for the Borough of
Manhattan, was appointed Engineer to
the Building Committee of the Board of
Aldermen.
The former policy of attempting fo
enact a Building Code was abandoned,
as experience has shown its futility and
the policy of revising the Code. .Article
by .\rticle, was adopted. Formerly
strong dissatisfaction or opposition to a
single article or section served to defeat
the entire measure, although the re¬
mainder was entirely satisfactory and
acceptable. By taking up each article
singly, much of the Code was revised
and enacted into law with compaAtive-
ly little opposition. Those articles,
formerly sources of contention, were
taken up in conferences with the Engi¬
neer, Rudolph P. Miller, and the differ¬
ence thrashed out, and the article
formally whipped into shape, fairly sat¬
isfactory to all concerned.
The various new laws affecting build¬
ing construction in this city have had
the effect of increasing very materially
the work of the Bureau and also in de¬
laying action on applications and plans,
awing to the unfamiliarity of the ex¬
aminers with the new laws for som'e_
months after their passage.
Several years ago, after careful con^
sideration, a new system of filing plana
according to lot and block, was inau-
(Continued on page 329).