‘Green bldg.’ law battle heating up
Environmental advocates backing the “green buildings” bill claim it would boost the city’s employment market with over 40,000 jobs per year in a new report — but landlords contend it’s just more cash from their pockets.
The new findings, released by the Climate Works for All coalition on Thursday, determined 23,627 construction jobs and 16,995 other jobs (such as building operations, maintenance jobs, manufacturing and professional services) would be created or preserved if the Intro 1253 bill passes.
“This study shows that this bill is not only the single biggest thing New York City can do to address climate change, but it will be a huge employment generator supplying steady and consistent work,” said Stephan Edel, project director at New York Working Families and one of the report’s authors. “Reducing energy use, including significant waste, means good construction and operations jobs, but also results in utility savings that allow property owners and tenants to invest in other areas.”
But landlords affected by the proposed legislation — which would reduce carbon emissions from buildings over 25,000 square feet by enforcing mandatory retrofitting — think the new report points to more costs.
“They’re gonna generate some jobs, sure, but on the backs of us,” griped Tony Gigantiello, president of North Queensview Homes. “They’re gonna bankrupt us, and kill the middle class.”
But environmental activists argue the pollution is a major threat to human life, and causes serious illnesses such as asthma.
“Landlords of all kinds for too long have been polluting our city and have caused the lives of people,” said Maritza Silva-Farrell, the executive director of the Align union, which helped conduct the report. “They need to look at themselves in the mirror and think how much is a New Yorker’s life worth?”
The study states that retrofitting — such as window replacements and insulation — will cost roughly $25 per square foot.
Floated just in time to pass for Earth Day on April 22, the draft outlines strict time lines for retrofitting, and fines of up to $1,000 per unit for noncompliance. The legislation would kick off in 2024, and demands landlords slash emissions 40% by 2030, and double the cuts by 2050.