T H E C I T Y O F N EW Y O R K
O F FI CE
OF T HE M A Y OR
N E W Y O R K , N Y 1 0 00 7
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 13, 2013
No. 203
www.nyc.gov
MAYOR BLOOMBERG, SPEAKER QUINN AND BUILDING RESILIENCY TASK
FORCE RELEASE RECOMMENDATIONS TO STRENGTHEN NEW YORK’S
BUILDING STANDARDS AND MAKE HOMES, BUSINESSES MORE RESILIENT
33 Proposals Expand on Initiatives Outlined in “A Stronger, More Resilient New York”
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn
today released the recommendations of the Building Resiliency Task Force, the expert panel they
convened after Hurricane Sandy to outline steps to fortify New York’s buildings and strengthen
building standards. The report includes 33 recommendations that address resiliency in a wide
range of buildings – including commercial buildings, multifamily residences, hospitals and 1- to
3-family homes – and offer options to help existing buildings become more resilient and
strengthen the Building Code and Zoning Resolution to ensure future construction meets the
highest level of resilience. It also proposes measures that would establish backup power if
primary networks fail, protect water supplies and stabilize interior temperatures if residents need
to shelter in place. The Mayor and Speaker released the report with Russell Unger, the Executive
Director of the Urban Green Council, which managed the Task Force. They made the
announcement at the CityLights Building in Long Island City, which flooded as a result of
Hurricane Sandy and has since made upgrades to protect their building and ensure back-up
power, where they were joined by Marc Ricks, Chief Operating Officer of the Special Initiative
for Rebuilding and Resiliency, John H. Lee, Deputy Director for Green Buildings and Energy
Efficiency in the Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, and Council
Members James Gennaro and Jimmy Van Bramer.
“We have to be able to withstand and recover quickly from all hazards posed by climate
change,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “That’s why Speaker Quinn and I asked Russell Unger to help
us address this enormously important task and will now begin the process of putting it into
action. The specific recommendations cover important ways to make every kind of building in
the city safer from future storms.”
“Strengthening our City's infrastructure today will save billions of dollars in the future
and will save lives,” said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “The Task Force report provides the city
with a clear direction on how to make our buildings more resilient and helps us protect our
businesses and our homes. I want to thank Mayor Bloomberg and the members of the Task Force
for all their work.”
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“Another Sandy is inevitable, and New York isn’t ready. But it can be,” said Unger,
Executive Director of the Urban Green Council and Task Force Chair. “The Task Force
recommendations are tangible and economically achievable steps that will prepare our citizens,
buildings and city for future extreme weather events. We look forward to working with Mayor
Bloomberg, Speaker Quinn and the next administration to protect all New Yorkers and avoid
billions of dollars in costs.”
“Mayor Bloomberg’s recently-released resiliency blueprint for New York City continues
the work that he has done during his time in office to make the City a world-leader in
confronting climate change,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President
and Director of the Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency Seth W. Pinsky. “The
Building Resiliency Task Force’s report represents yet another step forward on this important
mission. Thank you to the entire task force, led by Russell Unger, for their hard work and to
Council Speaker Quinn for her on-going partnership on this important issue.”
”Making our city’s buildings more resilient to coastal flooding and other climate hazards
is a challenge that requires collaboration among government, designers, engineers, and building
owners, among others,” said City Planning Commissioner Amanda M. Burden. “The Task
Force's work exemplifies the kind of innovation and cooperation necessary to prepare our city
for a changing climate.”
“To protect millions of New Yorkers, New York City has among the toughest building
standards in the world, and this Task Force report will help us make them even better,” said
Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri. “I would like to thank our engineering and
architectural experts who played a critical role in developing the report’s recommendations, as
well as Mayor Bloomberg, Speaker Quinn and Russell Unger for their leadership in making our
buildings stronger and safer in the years to come.”
“The Building Resiliency Task Force Report represents the best analytical thinking
among world-class professionals, working in unison with real estate, government and labor
interests,” said John H. Lee, Deputy Director for Green Buildings and Energy Efficiency in the
Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability. “Together, we will continue to make
New York the strongest and most reliable city to do business, raise our families, and share in
culture, arts, and entertainment. Our buildings define our city, and the strength of our resolve is
reflected in the strength and magnitude of our buildings. Through the work of the Task Force, we
can assure that New Yorkers will build smarter and will occupy safer, sustainable structures that
are more resilient in the face of climate change.”
Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn convened the Building Resiliency Task Force to
examine what measures existing buildings could adopt to protect against future storm damage,
and also to propose changes to regulations that would raise resiliency standards in future
construction. Overseen by the Urban Green Council, the local chapter of the US Green Building
Council, the Task Force assembled more than 200 volunteer experts in architecture, engineering,
construction, building codes and real estate to produce the report and its 33 recommendations.
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The Task Force proposals are organized around four central goals: constructing stronger
buildings; securing backup power; providing essential services including water and sanitation;
and developing building-specific emergency plans. The CityLights building is located in the 100year floodplain and was flooded during Hurricane Sandy. The co-op is in the process of
installing a combined heat and power system, which is more efficient and can operate during
power loss. A full copy of the Task Force’s report is available on www.urbangreencouncil.org.
The Task Force worked with the Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency in its
development of the building recommendations for “A Stronger, More Resilient New York,” the
comprehensive report with more than 250 specific recommendations to further fortify the city
against climate events. The Mayor presented that report earlier this week and outlined the
proposals that will improve the existing 68,000 buildings projected to be mapped in the 100-year
floodplain through retrofits and that will create stronger future buildings by updating current
regulations so that new construction meets higher standards.
“Protecting Long Island City and the rest of our great City from the inevitable storms
which will strike must be our top priority in government,” said Council Member Jimmy Van
Bramer. “Now is the time to make the necessary infrastructure investments to avoid catastrophic
flooding and loss of life in low-lying and other coastal areas of Queens and New York City.
These recommendations are smart and forward thinking and will ultimately save billions of
dollars and countless lives.”
“Superstorm Sandy was an extreme wake-up call in New York City,” said Council
Member Margaret Chin. “We need to be better prepared for severe storms, and proactively
engage residents and communities to ensure that their homes and businesses are equipped to
safely face any weather emergency. These thirty-three Building Resiliency Task Force
recommendations go a long way toward that goal, comprehensively addressing key building
issues and proposing solutions that lay a strong foundation for our city.”
“Let us learn from Sandy and address New York's many vulnerabilities to severe weather
events,” said Council Member Dan Garodnick. “Let’s get some thoughtful proposals on the table
and make sure that our best systems are in place to protect both new and existing buildings.”
“It is crucial that we learn as much as we can from Hurricane Sandy in order to prepare
for the next storm,” said Council Member Vincent J. Gentile. “I commend the NYC Building
Resiliency Task Force for working to identify important measures to mitigate climate change and
increase building resilience. Together we can ensure that our City is even better prepared to meet
Mother Nature’s next challenge.”
“I am proud to be part of the City Council’s ongoing efforts to better prepare for future
storms as the challenges of climate change facing our City become increasingly apparent,” said
Council Member Sara M. Gonzalez. “As I fought to help Red Hook recover from the damage
caused by, what I couldn’t help but wonder was why the City was not better prepared. I strongly
believe in being proactive to prevent future damage and make our waterfront neighborhoods
more resilient.”
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“I commend the tireless work and visionary leadership of Speaker Quinn and all those
involved with the Building Resiliency Task Force for producing 33 comprehensive and
actionable changes that will make our buildings—and our communities—stronger and safer,”
said Council Member Rosie Mendez. “I look forward to working with all of my colleagues to
further discuss and implement the broad spectrum of essential initiatives—including changes to
the Building Code that will foster substantial resiliency, provide for integrated backup power
systems, ensure that buildings are safer sand more habitable in the event of a blackout and
streamlining emergency planning and recovery response.”
“Since Sandy hit, city government has been engaged in ongoing efforts to both meet the
short term immediate needs of folks impacted by the storm and, also, to plan for long-term issues
that we will have to address to ensure we are better prepared in the future,” said Council Member
James S. Oddo. “This plan is intended to help us plan for future storms.”
“It is absolutely critical that we take the lessons learned from Superstorm Sandy and use
those lessons to better prepare and protect our City for future disasters. The recommendations
release by the Task Force today reflect thoughtful consideration from an esteemed and
experienced panel of experts so we can do exactly that,” said Council Member Domenic M.
Recchia, Jr. “On behalf of my community, which was devastated by the storm, I want to thank
the Mayor, Speaker Quinn, and the Task Force for their hard work and commitment to this vital
project. I look forward to working with all of them to implement needed improvements to the
City’s resilience and recovery planning.”
“We must do everything we can to ensure we never again experience the chaos and
confusion that occurred after hurricane Sandy,” said Council Member Donovan Richards. “With
this in mind, I am very happy to be involved with the new measures New York City has been
implementing. We are taking great strides in making sure we are stronger and better than ever
before.”
“Climate Change continues to pose a direct threat to coastal communities across New
York City,” said Council Member Eric Ulrich. “This task force will be charged with the
important task of preparing New Yorkers from future storms, while at the same time updating
our physical infrastructure. I commend the Bloomberg Administration and Speaker Quinn for
spearheading this effort.”
“We can’t prevent another Sandy from happening, but we can take action now to
minimize the impact of future storms,” Council Member James Vacca. “We’ve learned how to
recover and rebuild and now—with the recommendations before us today—we’ll learn how to be
more resilient to future climate risks. Although my district was largely spared in comparison to
other districts, many of my constituents are now facing costly insurance premiums. I urge that
the federal administration take our recommendations into account so that New Yorkers are not
flooded with soaring insurance costs.”
- 30 Contact:
Marc La Vorgna / Lauren Passalacqua
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(212) 788-2958
Ami Cholia (Speaker’s Office)
(212) 788-7116
Russell Unger (The Urban Green Council) (646) 670-2595.
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