Construction in Philadelphia to Resume on Friday

PHILADELPHIA—Construction activity in the City of Philadelphia will resume on Friday, according to Mayor Jim Kenney.

The mayor stated on Wednesday that he will sign an Executive Order allowing construction work in the city to begin again on Friday morning with strict limitations in order to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The Executive Order is in response to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s order that allows construction activities to resume statewide on May 1. The mayor is also allowing golf courses in the city to reopen beginning on Friday as well.

Among the limitations imposed by the mayor’s executive order include:

• All projects with currently issued construction permits can resume or start construction on Friday, May 1 at 7:00 a.m. except underpinning, demolition of attached structures, and/or projects that require support of an existing party wall.

• No work is permitted within any occupied dwelling unit, except emergency repairs.

• In multi-family buildings, no work is permitted within any occupied dwelling unit or within any shared common area, except emergency repairs.

• Work can only take place between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for emergency repairs.

• Each contractor must appoint a Pandemic Safety Officer who must obtain COVID-19 training certificate from OSHA.

• Each contractor must maintain a COVID-19 Safety Plan at the work site and comply with all Commonwealth and City orders related to COVID-19, and the governor’s April 23, 2020 “Guidance for Businesses in the Construction Industry Permitted to Operate During the COVID-19 Disaster Emergency.”

• For permitted work on one and two-family dwellings, no more than four workers are permitted on-site at any time per dwelling unit.

• No more than four workers may work at a commercial site or portion thereof that is enclosed and less than 2,000 square feet; one additional worker is allowed for each additional 500 square feet of enclosed area over 2,000 square feet.

• All construction permit applications filed on or after the order must be applied for, approved, paid for, and issued online and only those permits issued on-line may start construction.

• Permits for projects that require ZBA action cannot be issued until further notice.

Golf course operations are also allowed under certain restrictions. The city-run sites reopening this week are Cobbs Creek Golf Course and Karakung Golf Course (same location), Walnut Lane Golf Course, John F. Byrne Golf Course, Juniata Golf Course, Burholme Golf Driving Range (miniature golf will not open), and Strawberry Green Driving Range (a.k.a. 33rd and Oxford Driving Range).