Can I Replace My Architect on an Existing NYC DOB Filing?
Hamoun Niknejad2026-10-23T17:39:15+00:00You hired an architect, submitted construction plans to the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB), and started moving your project forward. But somewhere along the way, things changed.Maybe your architect stopped responding to emails. Perhaps the project has been sitting unfinished for months, you disagree about the next steps, or the original architect retired or is no longer available.Now you want to hire someone else, but you're concerned about losing your existing DOB approval or having to start the...
Commercial Lease Due Diligence
Hamoun Niknejad2026-10-21T00:44:48+00:00A promising storefront can look perfect during a tour: good foot traffic, generous windows, and enough room for the business you want to open. Then the lease is signed and the architect discovers that the legal occupancy does not match the intended use, an old DOB permit is still open, or the proposed kitchen exhaust has nowhere to go. The most expensive problem may not be rent; it may be the months spent trying to make the space usable.Building and...
Stop Work Order Removal
Hamoun Niknejad2026-10-21T00:45:26+00:00A Stop Work Order (SWO) is an enforceable direction from DOB, not simply a warning about paperwork. Construction can resume only when the work is legally permitted, and DOB has rescinded the applicable order. Here is a practical way to handle the problem without losing sight of safety, documentation, and cost.Full vs. partial Stop Work OrdersA full SWO generally prohibits all work at the affected site except the remedial activity permitted to make conditions safe. A partial SWO prohibits the...
NYC Mini Bean Sculpture
Hamoun Niknejad2026-10-28T16:47:36+00:00Walking through Tribeca in Lower Manhattan, you might suddenly notice something unusual beneath a modern skyscraper: an enormous, polished silver sculpture reflecting buildings, pedestrians, and the surrounding streets.Its smooth, curved surface looks almost like a giant drop of liquid metal squeezed beneath the building above.New Yorkers have nicknamed it the Mini Bean, a smaller relative of Chicago's famous Bean sculpture.But this unusual artwork is more than a smaller version of a popular tourist attraction. Designed by internationally acclaimed artist Anish...