Saga at 143 Ludlow: Illegal Rooftop Construction Afoot

The surprises keep a-comin’ at 143 Ludlow Street, where some illegal roofwork is currently underway. Drama is most certainly in the air, folks.

Luxury condo conversion activity at 143 Ludlow has been rather suspicious ever since Samy Mahfar purchased the six-story tenement building last summer. Aside from address tomfoolery aimed to deregulate apartments, ceilings have collapsed, plumbing exploded, and asbestos negligently cleaned. Add to that the advent of an illegal rooftop addition that runs the perimeter.

As of publication, no DOB permits exist for any sort of activity atop 143 Ludlow. All paperwork in the system is for ongoing renovation of units within the building proper. What we’ve seen, however, is near round-the-clock work up there (i.e. welding past 8pm); it’s visible from street level, too. The true purpose thus far is unclear, but possible outcomes could include a seventh story, roof deck, or housing for air conditioner apparatus.

This is absolutely illegal; here’s hoping the DOB finally intervenes in this situation. We are told holdout tenants are at wit’s end.

Bonus: numerous readers also point out that Mr. Mahfar is on the board of the Lower East Side BID.