Local law 11

Building façades in New York City pose a potentially dangerous situation to pedestrians, as beautiful architectural ornamentation can quickly become deadly falling objects should the anchoring holding it in place fail. On May 16, 1979 that potential turned into a heartbreaking reality when a Barnard College freshman, Grace Gold, was struck and killed by a chunk of masonry that had detached from the 7th or 8th floor of 601 West 115th Street. In response to this tragedy and in recognition of the hazardous conditions it exposed, New York City has enacted legislation (first Local Law 10 and now Local Law 11/the Façade Inspection Safety Program) that safeguards the public from falling facades.

The Façade Inspection Safety Program (FISP), also known as Local Law 11 (LL11), requires that all New York City buildings greater than six stories high have the exterior walls and appurtenances inspected every five years by either a professional engineer or a registered architect. Information on when your building’s next Local Law 11 façade cycle is can be found here. 

Empire City Development has been facilitating Façade Inspection Safety Program inspections since the original legislature for it, Local Law 10, was passed in 1980. Originally acting only as the operator of scaffold drops for Local Law 11 inspections or as the contractor in charge of façade maintenance after the Local Law 11 report had already been filed, Bellet Construction has recently expanded its offerings to include supplying a licensed professional to conduct the Façade Inspection Safety Program assessment. We can assist with all steps to the Local Law 11 filing and repair process, ensuring that your building remains up to code and that any necessary repairs are made swiftly and at minimal inconvenience to you or your tenants.