Jackson Heights Life

Hi there!  My wife and I are considering buying a place in Roosevelt Terrace.  We love everything about the apartment except the low ceilings.  Does anyone know if it is possible to raise them and have exposed beams?  Is this something the board there would even consider?


Thanks,

P

it's a newer building, but it's still in the historic district, so that doesn't matter. i'd bet on that being a losing battle.

I do know that people in the building have redone bathrooms, floor and kitchens.  It's postwar.

If it's just a remodel without a change to the floorplan, then redoing a kitchen or bathroom is no big deal. It's when you want to take out / move walls or change other structural elements that it can be very difficult to get approval.

I'm on my board, and I wouldn't permit it.  Aside from noise issues, removing the sheet rock to expose the beams would also mean that odors would travel more easily.  So, if anyone smokes, you (or your neighbors) will be able to smell it easily.  It could also increase vibrations and, if fireproofing materials were installed between floors, would create a fire issue.

The ceilings/floors are concrete.  There is nothing to expose other than your upstairs neighbor's apartment.  As for the removal of walls, there is a way around filing with the building's dept.  There is a ratio to wall vs wall opening I can't remember.  If you're under the limit, you don't need to go to DOB.  If you are, you would technically need DOB approval which would require stamped drawings from a licensed architect.  It's totally stupid, but this is NYC after all.