NEW YORK — The International Code Council (ICC) has reported that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, joined by Department of Building (DOB) Commissioner Patricia Lancaster and City Council Housing and Building Chair Madeline Provenzano, announced that the city will issue an executive order to study the possibility of adopting the International Building Code® (IBC).

According to ICC, New York’s current building code is the largest and most complex in the country and takes up hundreds of pages in the city’s Administrative Code.

“By studying, and potentially adopting the IBC, the city will streamline one of the largest hurdles to construction,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Our current building code’s complexity is often an impediment to new construction and drives up the cost of building in New York. A continuously updated building code will help generate more affordable housing and make New York City a more attractive place to do business.”