NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — Scaffolding is so common throughout New York City that we sometimes forget that it is not an integral part of the building it is attached to.

In some cases, it seemed as if city officials had forgotten that, too.

Mayor Eric Adams wants to change this with his new “Get Sheds Down” program.

On Wednesday morning, he was on hand to dismantle what is probably the longest-standing scaffolding shed on a municipal building.

The age of the shed at 520 First Avenue in Manhattan was estimated at 15 years.

Get Sheds Down aims to improve the quality of life of New Yorkers and return valuable sidewalk space to the public

“As we remove sidewalks citywide, we must be the change we want to see. That starts with the shed that has obscured the entrance to the Chief Medical Examiner’s office for over 15 years,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “The people who walk through the doors of the OCME are often in great need – or helping people who are. By maintaining this building, we pay respect to the work done inside it while we continue to work diligently to remove the sheds.”

James Oddo, commissioner of the New York City Building Department, said there is no excuse for a shed to remain standing for 15 years. He added that the city government places a high priority on removing long-standing sheds in the interest of public safety.

“We can’t just talk big, the city has to follow up with actions. That means our sheds, which have been standing for years without any construction work, have to be demolished,” Oddo said.

According to the city, nearly 270 long-established sheds were removed, 14 of which were owned by the city.

The City Council is currently considering legislation that would require companies to provide proof every 90 days that they are performing work that requires scaffolding, and is also trying to provide additional incentives for building owners and mandate the use of more attractive sheds.

“As the Commissioner mentioned, we have been working in partnership with all departments of the City Government to do a very thorough review of the city’s sheds and find out what needs to be done to dismantle them and lead by example,” said Ya-Ting Liu, NYC Chief Public Realm Officer

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