The Adams administration is tapping James Oddo, a former Staten Island borough president, to lead the NYC Department of Buildings, according to the mayor’s office. Oddo succeeds Eric Ulrich, who resigned amid a gambling-related scandal.
“Commissioner Oddo is an expert at building and running high-functioning teams, and he will bring the leadership the Department of Buildings needs to oversee our city’s buildings and protect New Yorkers who work in construction and walk on our streets,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement on Thursday.
The appointment follows Ulrich's resignation in November after reports surfaced of his alleged involvement in an illegal gambling investigation. Kazimir Vilenchik, an engineer, has served as the acting commissioner since then – although the department removed its requirement that the commissioner must be a certified architect or engineer.
Oddo’s appointment comes about a week after a parking garage at 57 Ann St. in the Financial District collapsed, leaving New Yorkers trapped within the four-story building for several hours. One person – the garage’s longtime manager – died in the collapse, while at least four others were treated at a hospital.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is continuing to investigate the cause of the collapse, which left many New Yorkers worried about the structural integrity of their homes – especially since the building’s owners still had more than a year left to comply with a recently passed law requiring routine safety inspections.
In the press release announcing Oddo's appointment, the mayor’s office said that Oddo’s work as the new commissioner will consist of “protecting construction workers and at-risk buildings.” He will also help by “driving the city’s economic recovery, and implementing New York City’s nation-leading sustainability laws, including Local Law 97.”
In addition to serving as Staten Island borough president, Oddo – a Republican – previously served as a member of the New York City Council and as chief of staff to Meera Joshi, the deputy mayor of operations, in January.
“Jimmy Oddo brings the highest level of passion, empathy and smarts to public service, and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Operations has been the grateful beneficiary of the ’Oddo Effect,’” Joshi said on Thursday.
His tenure in the Council, where he represented Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, Oddo opposed building a NASCAR track in his district, removed aluminum bats at high school games and dropped f-bombs on a Norwegian TV program.
“I am grateful for Mayor Adams’ continued belief in me, and I am excited to continue serving this city at the Department of Buildings,” Oddo said in the same press release. “Ensuring the safety of every New Yorker and workers alike will always be the top priority.”
