Scandal: Large-Scale Developments Approved Without Architect's Involvement

A New York Times investigation has revealed evidence of a development company repeatedly misleading the New York City Department of Buildings.

2 minute read

June 14, 2022, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


A large group of glass covered skyscrapers rises above the Hudson River in Manhattan, with several new buildings under construction visible too.

Hudson Yards, as pictured with several buildings under construction in September 2021. | Popova Valeriya / Shutterstock

Matthew Haag reports for The New York Times on the curious case of the hotel on 11th Avenue in Hudson Yards. “At 642 feet tall, the building soars above the Hudson River, featuring jagged sets of floor-to-ceiling windows that shimmer in the sun,” writes Haag.

Here’s the catch: the architect of record on the project, Warren L. Schiffman, is on the record saying he had no role in designing the project. The same is true for other projects from the same developer, Marx Development Group: a hotel near La Guardia Airport (complete) and dual high-rise residences in Queens (still seeking approval), reports Haag.

New York state law requires buildings approved for construction to involve the oversight and involvement of a registered architect “to ensure that buildings are properly designed and do not pose a safety risk,” according to Haag.

So how’d the Hudson Yards hotel, currently under construction, get the permits necessary to build? “Officials at the city’s Department of Buildings said they did not find any structural defects in the plans for the Hudson Yards hotel, which is still under construction. Department records show that it reviewed the plans five times between 2018 and 2020, when they were ultimately approved,” according to Haag.

The department has since barred Schiffman from filing building plans, but more details on the fallout from the scandal are included in the source article below.

Monday, June 13, 2022 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

6 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

July 6 - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

July 6 - InTransition Magazine