NYC School Scaffolding: Is there an end in sight?
UPPER WEST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- New York City is known as a concrete jungle, but it's also becoming known for the sidewalk sheds and scaffolding that surrounds that concrete.
No one knows that better than the students who attend PS 333 on W. 93rd Street on the city's Upper West Side.
Hundreds of students have been going to school in a construction zone for years. In fact, there are some K-8th graders who are about to graduate middle school who have never seen the outside of the building not covered in scaffolding.
"I'm extremely frustrated because no one seems to be taking accountability for the fact that this project has gone on for eight years," said parent Lynn Feng.
Some parents are not just concerned bout how it looks, but about the safety of children.
"The existence of construction equipment and on a construction site with nails and wood and metal just poking out everywhere with little kids who aren't safe to begin with," said Feng.
Improvements to the outside of the 80-year-old landmarked building have been going on for years. 7 On Your Side first reported on the issue last fall.
"It took a year and 46 days to build the Empire State Building and it has taken over seven years to fix the roof and the facade, it's unacceptable," parent Gui Stampur told us.
The School Construction Authority which oversees public school projects told us it had issues with the original contractor, had to get a new one, and also said COVID pauses had caused delays.
Improvements have been made since then. The scaffolding has been removed from two sides of the building. But parents weren't happy to find construction equipment when the new school year started.
"Which is very frustrating because we are constantly told new information that contradicts old information," said Fend.
In an email, the SCA said the work should be complete by November.
A spokesperson wrote: "Scaffolding has been removed on the east and south side of the school along 92nd Street. We are removing scaffolding as we obtain approvals to do so following completion of remaining work. We anticipate removing the remaining scaffolding by the end of this month. We aim to begin removing the sidewalk shedding around the school by November of this year."
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