New York building commissioner resigns

Commissioner Patricia Lancaster resignation comes days after a window installer plummets 9 stories to his death and weeks after a crane collapse killed seven.

By Consulting Specifying Engineer Staff April 28, 2008

A day after expressing concern over the city’s building department, Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday accepted the resignation of the agency’s leader, who has endured criticism over an increase in fatal construction accidents this year.

Commissioner Patricia Lancaster’s resignation comes days after a window installer plummeted nine stories to his death and weeks after a crane collapse killed seven.

“It’s much needed and long overdue,” said Councilman Tony Avella, who had called for Lancaster to step down. “Clearly, under her tenure, the agency slipped into total chaos.”

On Monday, Bloomberg said he wasn’t “fully satisfied” with the department’s performance and vowed to probe deeper.

So far in 2008, 13 have died in construction accidents. Twelve were killed in all of 2007.

Read about NYC’s March crane collapse .