Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Buildings Dept. Head Shielded Scarano from Regulators
By
Jill Priluck
Published Dec 10, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jill Priluck
Published Dec 10, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Architect Robert Scarano, who has been charged with violating city building standards at 32 properties, has an ally at the Department of Buildings. The Daily News is reporting that Patricia Lancaster, the department's commissioner, hid Scarano's mistakes, signing a stipulation in which she promised not to report Scarano to any regulatory agency that could revoke his license.
The News article is part of its I-Team Special Investigation unit. Reporter Brian Kates explains that Lancaster promised not to provide regulators "any information or documents that form the basis for the [department's] assertions and allegations" and said she would hide the information from the press, "except to say that the matter has been resolved satisfactorily."
Specifically, Lancaster hid a charge that the architect signed off on unsafe conditions at the site where Anthony Duncan Sr., a construction worker, was crushed to death in 2006 when a building collapsed. In exchange, Scarano removed himself from the department's self-certification program. Here's what Duncan's son said:
"If they are not going to pursue Scarano to the fullest extent, then who are they going to pursue?" asked Duncan's son, Anthony Jr. "It's like they're laughing in my face ... Scarano is still working, but my father is dead."
Several other deaths, reportedly due to carelessness, occurred at Scarano sites. Brooklyn's "bad-boy" architect, as the Brooklyn Paper put it, also has been cited for ignoring zoning regulations.
The Real Deal recently quoted Scarano: "I very happily go through what I used to before self-certification. The extra scrutiny brings a higher level to the way we do our work. Now we are forced to dot the i's and cross the t's -- but we still push the envelope."
In light of the Lancaster debacle, "extra scrutiny" has a whole new meaning.
Update: According to Department of Buildings spokeswoman Kate Lindquist, the State knew of Scarano's misdeeds at the time of the stipulation, which was used to remove Scarano from the Professional Certification Program. She likened it to a plea bargain that "gets a licensed professional out of the system immediately."
Tagged
brooklyn
brooklyn paper
construction
daily news
death
department of buildings
Jr.
news
News: NYC
patricialancaster
regulations
robert scarano
robertscarano
secretdeal
special
the daily news
The News
The Real Deal
Jill Priluck
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .