Monthly Report

- by Marion Scott

- by Jay Williams

General Manager’s Monthly Report for July 2023

FAÇADE LOCAL LAW 11 (FISP) CYCLE 9

In January, I wrote a basic overview pertaining to the challenges we face while performing the required maintenance of our façade. Please forgive me if I tread familiar ground but it is imperative that we are aware of the status and the plan forward. To complete all buildings, we will have to overcome funding deficits to keep Rochdale safe and in compliance with FISP Cycle 9 requirements. To gain a comprehensive understanding we need to be aware of the many different components that we are faced with at Rochdale concerning FISP.

Rochdale is in a uniquely challenging position when it comes to Local Law 11 (“LL11”). Aside from the sheer size of our property, our buildings suffer from a construction defect whereas they have no wall ties connecting the façade to the sub wall (see fig. 1). This is an unusual feature that creates a potentially dangerous condition. If left unchecked this may cause bulging bricks (see fig. 2) that may eventually lead to failure aka bricks falling from the buildings. Recently I was also informed that during the construction some construction teams poured mortar between the outer “red brick” and the sub wall (cinder block) that can also cause a similar bulging brick condition over time.

(Fig. 3 - Rochdale buildings have 27 faces. Each building will have 54 checks/safety probes in Cycle 9.)

What is Local Law 11 FISP?

The NYC Facade Inspection Safety Program (FISP), also known as Local Law 11, requires NYC buildings taller than six stories to have their facades inspected and repaired every five years. Each 5-year interval is called a “Cycle”. We are currently on Cycle 9.

How Cycle 9 is different from other Cycles

This cycle requires that buildings conduct a probe every 60 feet from the roof to the ground. This forces us to do a drop for every 27 faces on each building. We did not have to do a drop for every face in the past cycle. Every drop adds additional cost. Furthermore, every brick that is more than 6 inches away from the sub wall or does not have ties must be tied. This has added 3 times the previously estimated cost per building.

How many buildings are completed?

gRouP 2

Bldgs. 5 – Completed

Bldgs. 6 – Completed

Bldgs. 7 – Completed

Bldgs. 8 – Completed gRouP 4

Bldgs. 13 – 30% Completed

Bldgs. 14 – 30% Completed

Bldgs. 15 – 75% Completed

Bldgs. 16 – 75% Completed gRouP 1: Start Date TBD gRouP 3: Start Date TBD gRouP 5: Start Date TBD

When will Group 4 be completed?

We anticipate approval of City Funding toward the façade in the next 60 days. Once approved, work will restart toward completion of Group 4’s façade.

When will the rest of the buildings be completed?

To know that we must nail down the overarching cost remaining on the project. Our architect has estimated the remaining façade cost to be approximately $35 million. To get a more accurate account of the full cost will be the Board approved the expenditure of $1.2 million at the July Board meeting to complete probes site wide. This is scheduled to begin in early September of this year.

How will the cost of the façade affect me?

We do not have $35 million lying around to complete the increasingly stringent FISP requirements. While we understand that this is a law to protect NY residents from an aging infrastructure, Rochdale, like many other buildings across the boroughs, is struggling to pay for the work. That is why everywhere you go buildings have scaffolding and shedding outside their entrances. To add to this, Mayor Adams is beginning his scaffold removal initiative to increase fines for buildings with sheds. This appears to be aimed at landlords with sheds on public streets. Here, we don’t have landlords and our sheds are internal so the hope is that we may not be affected. The bottom line is that we must fund this, and we do not get to vote. Management is in the process of conducting an analysis of potential options to include low interest loans, project assessment and additional carrying charge increases. We will also be exploring other funding sources to include the City Council and State Assembly.