NYC Construction Dashboard

Permit Types by Community District (2017)

2017 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 2017, the majority of New Building (NB), Demolition (DM), and Alteration Type 1 (ALT1) permits were issued in Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. 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 2017 (3,037 total, 37% citywide). The Community District with the greatest number of NB permits issued in 2017 was CD407 in Queens (543 total, 7% citywide).
ALT1: Brooklyn had the greatest number of ALT1 permits issued in 2017 (3,464 total, 38% citywide). CD301 in Brooklyn had over 400 ALT1 permits issued in 2017, 4% of the citywide total.
ALT2: Manhattan had the greatest number of ALT2 permits in 2017 (60,055 total, 48% citywide). The Community District with the most ALT2 permits in 2017 was CD105 in Manhattan (14,835 total, 12% citywide).
ALT3: Manhattan had the greatest number of ALT3 permits in 2017 (10,220 total, 45% citywide). The Community District with the greatest number of initial and renewal ALT3 permits in 2017 was CD105 in Manhattan (1,733 total, 8% citywide).
Demolition (DM): Brooklyn had the greatest number of DM permits in 2017 (772 total, 34% citywide). The Community District with the greatest number permits issued in 2017 was CD502 in Staten Island (170 total, 7% citywide).
Total Permits: Manhattan had the greatest total number of permits issued in 2017 (73,495 total, 44% citywide). The Community District with the greatest number of permits issued in 2017 was CD105 in Manhattan (17,064 total, 10% citywide).

Job Type: Top 10 Community Districts (2017)

The greatest number of New Building permits were issued in CD 407 in Queens, whereas CD 301 in Brooklyn had the most A1 permits and CD 502 in Staten Island had the most Demolition permits issued. CD 407 in Queens had the greatest number of A2 permits issued, while the borough of Manhattan had the greatest number of A2 and A3 permits issued overall.

Permits Time Series (2000 - 2017)

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. In 2017 there was a 49% increase in New Building and Demolition permits since 2013 and an 8% increase from the previous year.

Active NB & A1 Square Footage (2000 - 2017)

In 2009 there was a 12% 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 44% 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. 2017 saw an 8% increase in New Building square footage and a 5% reduction in Alt1 square footage from the previous year.

Demolition Permits Density Time Series (2000 - 2017)

This map shows concentrations of demolition permits between 2000-2017 (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 - 2017)

This map shows concentrations of new building permits between 2000-2017 (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 - 2017)

Employment in the industry of building construction has steadily increased in New York City since 2010. There was a 50% increase in 2017 since 2010 and a 5% increase 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 (Q4 2017)

This map shows the top 20 approved NB and A1 permits issued with the highest estimated cost in the 4th quarter of 2017. A 500,000 square-foot mixed-use facility located at 1568 Air Broadway in Manhattan's Time Square was the largest development project during this period with an estimated cost of $179 million. Construction costs are self-reported by the applicant.

Job Type per Borough (2000 - 2017)

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 (2016 - 2017)

This map shows initial new building permits issued in 2016 and 2017, with the larger/darker circles indicating higher total volume of square footage and dwelling units. Over the two-year period, Queens and Brooklyn had the highest number of NB permits issued. Manhattan had 87% fewer NB permits issued than Queens but 57% more square footage and 81% more dwelling units, with the bulk of development happening in midtown Manhattan.