BROOKLYN, NY — What was meant to be a temporary safety measure has become a long-term fixture at the Kings County Courthouse, where sidewalk sheds first installed in 2007 remain in place today.
The structure was originally erected to protect pedestrians and workers after inspectors identified potential hazards with the building’s aging facade.
But an end may finally be in sight.
City Council Member Lincoln Restler said this week that work is now officially underway to fix the courthouse’s facade and roof and remove the scaffolding once and for all.
The council member, who has been urging the city to start repairs since taking office, called the long-standing scaffolding “embarrassing.”
The shed at 360 Adams Street may be one of the most notorious in Downtown Brooklyn, according to the Department of Buildings’ map of active sidewalk shed permits. (The city distinguishes sidewalk sheds, which protect pedestrians, from scaffolds, which serve as platforms for construction workers.)
What’s happening at the Kings County Courthouse is not unique. Sidewalk sheds are a citywide problem: as of March 10, there were 1.8 million linear feet of them across all five boroughs, with an average age of 18 months, according to city data.
This past week, Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled new initiatives aimed at clearing long-standing sidewalk sheds and reducing how often they must be installed across the city.
At the same time, the New York City Department of Buildings proposed updates to the city’s façade safety regulations.
The plan would extend the inspection cycle from five years to six. Buildings deemed lower risk with a strong maintenance history could enter a scaled-back program, requiring full hands-on inspections only once every 12 years instead of every five.
The proposed rules would also cap the size of sidewalk sheds installed on buildings with unsafe facades.
At the Kings County Courthouse, contractors from the Department of Design and Construction began installing additional scaffolding last week to begin construction work.
The project is expected to be completed by fall 2027.