Which NYC Neighborhoods Are Eligible for the Enhanced Green Roof Property Tax Abatement?
Are you considering adding a green roof to your building? This enhanced tax abatement might help you move forward.
For nearly 15 years, NYC has offered a green roof tax abatement, providing property owners with a reduction of city taxes to help offset the costs of implementing a green roof. Initially set at the low, low price of only $4.50 per square foot, it was unsuccessful at incentivizing anything. So in 2013, it was generously upped by $0.73 to $5.23, where it remained for years. There was not much of an uptake, considering a green roof in NYC can cost anywhere from $18/sf to over $60/sf, so the abatement program sunsetted in 2018.
The Climate Mobilization Act Resurrects the NYC Green Roof Tax Abatement Better Than Ever
Alan Burchell Testimonial for LL 92/94 at City Hall, January 2019
Thanks partly to testimonies like that of Urbanstrong’s Alan Burchell, the Climate Mobilization Act, or NYC’s Green New Deal, which passed in April 2019. Along with Local Laws 92/94 and 96, legislation was passed relating to NYC’s Green Roof Tax Abatement. Firstly, the city reinstated the program at the $5.23 rate. But for certain priority community districts, it would be upped to $15 per square foot of green roof space.“The benefit is capped at whichever is less: $200,000 or the amount of property taxes due for the building that tax year. If the abatement amount exceeds your tax liability in any tax year. In that case, the remaining amount may be applied to your taxes within five years from when the abatement was initially taken.” Read more about these benefits and requirements.
Find out if you are in a priority community district:
Criteria for Selecting Enhanced Priority Districts
Green roofs offer a range of benefits for building owners, the general public, and the local ecology. Two of the environmental services they perform most beneficial to dense urban centers like NYC are cooling and cleaning the air and managing stormwater. High temperatures and poor air quality are dangerous to human health. Some neighborhoods of New York City are more vulnerable to heat stress than others due to socioeconomic and environmental factors. They have maps for this.
Similarly, some neighborhoods suffer more from stormwater issues, including flooding and contributing to combined sewer overflow events that pollute our local rivers. They also have maps for this. Overlaying the two maps revealed those parts of the City that need green roofs the most, hence the Priority Districts.
Is My Building in the List of NYC Community Districts Eligible for the Enhanced Green Roof Tax Abatement?
Urbanstrong’s Green Roof Tax Abatement Infographic
The NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability deemed the following Community Districts elibible for the Enhanced Green Roof Property Tax Abatement: Bronx: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 11. Brooklyn: 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 16, & 17. Manhattan: 10 only. Not sure which community district your building is in? Check the maps on the NYC Planning site here. Some of the zip codes at least partially contained in those Priority Districts include: 10026, 10027, 10030, 10037, 10039, 10451, 10452, 10453, 10454, 10455, 10459, 10460, 10474, 11203, 11205, 11206, 11207, 11208, 11212, 11213, 11216, 11217, 11221, 11225, 11226, 11233, 11237, 11238, 11239, 11385, 11461, & 13438. But don’t go by this list of zip codes alone. Verify your building is contained within one of the actual community district as some district boundaries split zip codes.
Breaking Down the Cost of Implementing a Green Roof
A green roof using seeds or clippings.
In New York City, installing a green roof can cost anywhere between $18 and $60 per square foot, sometimes lower, sometimes higher. The cost of a green roof depends on many factors. Some of the most significant cost drivers are the type of green roof installed (modular trays vs. built-in-place systems), the total size of the green roof (measured in square feet), and access for labor and materials (e.g., ladders, elevators, cranes, etc.). The desired ‘coverage’ on day-of-install also affects the cost. If owners are willing to wait for the vegetation to grow, we can save them money by planting some of the roof using seeds or clippings rather than entirely with fully mature plants. Other factors that affect the cost of a green roof include optional features like lighting, irrigation, benches, or decking. More straightforward, extensive green roofs can be pretty hardy and do not require much maintenance. However, a more lush, intensive green roof will require more pruning and care to maintain its high aesthetic appeal.
What is the Return on Investment of a Green Roof?
While these costs may seem high, installing a green roof can extend the life of your roof by a further 40 to 60 years, which results in long-term cost savings. Installing a green roof can also reduce heating and cooling costs as they act as a natural insulator. Some studies have shown that green roofs can reduce Summer cooling costs by up to 80 percent!
