NYC Construction Dashboard

Permit Types by Community District (2018)

2018 Construction Permit Activity

Construction activity has been on the rise in NYC with varying trends in the total volume and type of permits issued. In 2018, the majority of New Building (NB) and Demolition (DM) permits were issued in Brooklyn and Queens. However, smaller job types such as Alteration Types 2 (ALT2) and 3 (ALT3) were more prevalent in Manhattan. The permitting data presented in this report are aggregated by both initial and renewed permits.

New Building (NB): Brooklyn had the most NB permits issued in 2018 (2,756 total, 34% citywide). The Community District with the greatest number of NB permits issued in 2018 was CD503 in Staten Island (576 total, 7% citywide).

ALT1: Brooklyn had the greatest number of ALT1 permits issued in 2018 (3,546 total, 39% citywide). CD407 in Queens had 446 ALT1 permits issued in 2018, 5% of the citywide total.

ALT2: Manhattan had the greatest number of ALT2 permits in 2018 (59,275 total, 48% citywide). The Community District with the most ALT2 permits in 2018 was CD105 in Manhattan (14,297 total, 12% citywide).

ALT3: Manhattan had the greatest number of ALT3 permits in 2018 (5,341 total, 44% citywide). The Community District with the greatest number of initial and renewal ALT3 permits in 2018 was CD105 in Manhattan (948 total, 8% citywide).

Demolition (DM): Brooklyn had the greatest number of DM permits in 2018 (758 total, 36% citywide). The Community District with the greatest number permits issued in 2018 was CD407 in Queens (148 total, 7% citywide).

Total Permits: Manhattan had the greatest total number of permits issued in 2018 (67,605 total, 44% citywide). The Community District with the greatest number of permits issued in 2018 was CD105 in Manhattan (15,695 total, 10% citywide).

Job Type: Top 10 Community Districts (2018)

The greatest number of New Building permits were issued in CD503 in Staten Island, whereas CD407 in Queens had the most A1 permits and the most Demolition permits issued. The borough of Manhattan had the greatest number of A2 and A3 permits issued overall.

Permits Time Series (2000 - 2018)

The greatest year-to-year increase in total number of permits issued occurred from 2003 to 2004 where New Building permits increased by 20% and Demolitions increased by 27%. This upward surge continued through 2005, but was followed by a six year period of decline. However, since 2013, New Building and Demolition permits have again steadily increased. While in 2018 there was a slight decrease in New Building and Demolition permits since the previous year, there has been a 44% increase in these type of permits since 2013.

NB & A1 Total Square Footage (2000 - 2018)

In 2009 there was a 68% reduction in New Building square footage from the previous year. The 2008 economic crisis can be attributed toward this decline in New Building construction. In 2015 there was a 142% increase in New Building square footage from the previous year. This spike can be attributed to the 2015 expiration of a tax benefit (421-a) for new construction. 2018 had a reduction of 1% in New Building square footage and an 8% increase in Alt1 square footage from the previous year.

Demolition Permits Density Time Series (2000 - 2018)

This map shows concentrations of demolition permits between 2000-2018 (press play or click and drag time slider to iterate over years). Darker shades of red indicate higher concentrations of demolition permits while darker shades of green indicate lower concentrations.

New Building Permits Density Time Series (2000 - 2018)

This map shows concentrations of new building permits between 2000-2018 (press play or click and drag time slider to iterate over years). Darker shades of red indicate higher concentrations of new building permits while darker shades of blue indicate lower concentrations.

NYC Employment: Construction of Buildings (2000 - 2018)

Employment in the industry of building construction has steadily increased in New York City since 2010. There was a 51% increase in 2018 since 2010 and a 1% decrease from the previous year. There is also a strong correlation between construction employment numbers and permitting activity.

Source: US Department of Labor

Top 20 Development Projects (2018)

This map shows the top 20 approved NB and A1 permits issued with the highest estimated cost in 2018. The proposed 58-story office building located at 415 10th Avenue in the Hudson Yards district of Manhattan was the largest development project during this period with an estimated cost of $431 million. The second largest project of 2018 (another office highrise) is across the street at 509 West 34th Street with an estimated cost of $328 million. Construction costs are self-reported by the applicant.

Job Type per Borough (2000 - 2018)

Since 2000, Queens and Brooklyn have seen the largest proportion of New Building, ALT1, and Demolition permits issued, whereas the most A2 and A3 permits have been issued in Manhattan. There are more A2 permits issued in Manhattan than the other four boroughs combined.

NB Total Square Footage & Dwelling Units (2017 - 2018)

This map shows initial new building permits issued in 2017 and 2018, with the larger/darker circles indicating higher total volume of square footage and dwelling units. Over the two-year period, Queens had the highest number of initial NB permits issued. Manhattan had 85% fewer NB permits issued than Queens but 46% more square footage and 17% more dwelling units, with the bulk of development happening in midtown Manhattan.