promise first announced in January, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Wednesday published assessment records and conformance status for all of its facilities in New York and New Jersey. The records were posted to the Port Authority's website and will be updated annually.
The inspection and conformance records cover the agency's airports, bridges, tunnels and terminals, port and PATH facilities as well as Port Authority-controlled World Trade Center buildings, according to a release. A report encompassing the records includes an interactive facility map that allows users to see assessment schedules for each facility, a survey of the construction projects completed by the agency using its code conformance process and a complete inventory of each facility's component parts that are subject to code conformance, such as façade, boilers, refrigeration systems and elevators, the authority says.
In a statement, Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer lauds the authority for making the information public, and adds, "Now it's time for other property owners exempted from city safety codes to follow the Port Authority's lead. Code exemptions for regional authorities and federal and foreign buildings create a patchwork of regulation that is confusing and dangerous, putting first responders and the public at risk. The Port Authority's work is a road map for fixing this problem and saving lives."
As GlobeSt.com reported in January, Stringer last August called for public disclosure of code compliance in so-called "non-jurisdictional" buildings, as part of a five-point plan. There are more than 800 such buildings in the city, Stringer pointed out at the time; they include state and federal courthouses, Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal and the United Nations Secretariat.
Legally, these buildings are not subject to inspection by the city's police, fire and buildings departments, and are not subject to penalties for failure to comply with safety codes. In releasing his five-point plan, Stringer cited the fatal August 2007 blaze in the former Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty St., in which two firefighters died in part because the inspection that would have revealed cut standpipes was never conducted.
The Port Authority acknowledges that its buildings are non-jurisdictional, but says that it has reached agreements with the city over the years to meet or exceed its building and fire codes. Chris Ward, the authority's executive director, says in a release that the agency has "worked diligently" with city officials "to make sure our buildings are safe, secure and in conformance with all local building and fire codes. Today's action will allow the public to see what we've done so they can track our progress and judge for themselves."
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Paul Bubny
Paul Bubny is managing editor of Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com. He has been reporting on business since 1988 and on commercial real estate since 2007. He is based at ALM Real Estate Media Group's offices in New York City.
