17 Years Of Scaffold: NYC'S Oldest Sidewalk Shed Permit Is In Harlem

HARLEM, NY — A sidewalk shed on Edgecombe Avenue in Harlem is the oldest in all of New York City, according to new data released Monday.

On April 27, the shed at 409 Edgecombe Ave. celebrated its 17th birthday, according to a tracker from the Buildings department. Next year, it will be able to vote.

The new data came Monday morning with an announcement that the city will start tearing down scaffolding faster.

“We have nearly 400 miles of scaffolding in New York City, taking up public space that belongs to New Yorkers," said Mayor Eric Adams.

"For too long, bureaucratic rules have stood in the way of progress, but today, we are turning the page and overhauling these rules."

Change can't come fast enough to one Harlem corner.

409 Edgecombe Ave.

On April 27, 2006, Michael Bloomberg was beginning his second term as mayor of New York City, "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter was the number one song in the country, and a scaffolding shed went up near West 155th Street.

The uptown building is steeped in its own history as it can call W.E.B. Du Bois and Thurgood Marshall among past residents.

Its most recent claim to fame, though, is being the oldest continuous sidewalk shed in the city.

The next oldest shed in the five boroughs went up at 120 W. 74th St. in March of 2007, almost a full year after the one on Edgecombe Avenue.

The shed at the Harlem building first went up to protect residents and people on the sidewalk from falling debris during a restoration project, but has stayed up after a lightning strike damaged the work.

Get Sheds Down

The shady shed data show New York City sidewalks are encumbered by about 9,000 active, permitted construction sheds that claim more than 2 million linear feet. Roughly 2,000 of those sheds and scaffolds are in Manhattan.

Get Stuff Done's plan to dismantle the constructional tangle includes key policies and incentives to “Get Sheds Down."

• Safety Netting: Building owners will be educated about it and encouraged to use it.
• Reimagining Sidewalk Sheds: The Buildings department will solicit new design ideas for more attractive, eco-friendly alternatives. Sheds currently standing will get makeovers and facelifts in the form of light panels, art installations and the exploration of colors that aren't green.
• New Fines And Fees: Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine will push legislation to fine building owners on a monthly basis for unnecessary sheds that block the right of way. And City Council will implement new fees for permit renewals, which will be shortened to 90 days.
• Targeting Longstanding Sidewalk Sheds: The Buildings department will expand the eligibility for its Long Standing Shed program — which puts extra scrutiny on older structures — from a five year minimum age to three. This will add more than 500 sheds subject to earlier enforcement.

Back In The Day

Those new, youthful sheds will join a fraternity of green masses that date back to when George Bush was President of the United States.

Patch investigated the city's oldest sheds in 2021, when the average time most were up was 280 days, records show. That time is now 480 days.

Read more: When 'Temporary' Scaffolding Turns Permanent In NYC

According to the Buildings department, these are the 10 oldest sidewalk shed permits in New York City.

While it is rarely the case, a sidewalk shed permit being active does not necessarily mean there is a shed standing at the location, as occasionally there is a delay in the Department of Building's tracking.

1. 409 Edgecombe Ave.: April 27, 2006
2. 120 W. 74th St.: March 14, 2007
3. 365 Central Park West: Oct. 17, 2008
4. 101st Ave.: Nov. 19, 2008
5. 1772 Second Ave.: May 13, 2010
6. 116 E. 17th St.: Sept. 16, 2010
7. 138 Allen St.: Nov. 4, 2010
8. 604 Winthrop St.: Jan. 5, 2011
9. 444 Winthrop St.: Jan. 5, 2011
10. 443 W. 40th St.: June 16, 2011