The deaths this year include a window installer who fell nine stories when his safety strap failed, as well as the seven people who were killed last month when a crane toppled, as GlobeSt.com previously reported. In the latter case, a city inspector was arrested and resigned after authorities said he falsely claimed he had inspected the crane. At a City Council hearing last week, Lancaster admitted her department had improperly approved a construction permit for the building where the crane collapsed.
"I don't think anybody should be fully satisfied with the Department of Buildings," Bloomberg said at Monday's conference. "Whether they've done everything they can or not is something I'm looking at." Bloomberg did say, however, that the building boom increases the chances that things will go wrong. "If there's more construction, it makes common sense that you probably have more accidents or mistakes made, but that's not an excuse, and I'm looking into it."
 Bloomberg |
He continues that "Patricia led a comprehensive overhaul of the City's byzantine building code, the first in 40 years, which will make the construction of homes, schools, stores and offices in New York City safer, more affordable, and more environmentally friendly for years to come. Patricia leaves a strong foundation of reform and improvement for her successors to build on, and I thank her for her dedication to making New York City a far better place to live, work, and visit."
In recent weeks, some elected officials have put pressure on Lancaster to go, however Lancaster says in the release that "after six years in public service, I made this decision because I felt it was time to return to the private sector. I am proud of the groundbreaking work the department has done during my tenure to root out corruption, increase transparency, overhaul the building code, and increase safety for workers and the public alike. My message today, to the talented and capable staff at the Department of Buildings, is to keep up the hard work: you've made so much important progress. It has been my distinct pleasure working with you."
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Natalie Dolce
Natalie Dolce, editor-in-chief of GlobeSt.com and GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum, is responsible for working with editorial staff, freelancers and senior management to help plan the overarching vision that encompasses GlobeSt.com, including short-term and long-term goals for the website, how content integrates through the company’s other product lines and the overall quality of content. Previously she served as national executive editor and editor of the West Coast region for GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum, and was responsible for coverage of news and information pertaining to that vital real estate region. Prior to moving out to the Southern California office, she was Northeast bureau chief, covering New York City for GlobeSt.com. Her background includes a stint at InStyle Magazine, and as managing editor with New York Press, an alternative weekly New York City paper. In her career, she has also covered a variety of beats for M magazine, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, FashionLedge.com, and Co-Ed magazine. Dolce has also freelanced for a number of publications, including MSNBC.com and Museums New York magazine.
