New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday the city has begun demolishing outdoor dining sheds that popped up during the pandemic but are no longer being used and causing quality-of-life problems.
Mr. Adams, a Democrat, said an “initial blitz” identified 24 dormant sheds outside now-closed restaurants within a few days.
His office said the sheds have fallen into disrepair, create visual blight, attract vermin and are being used as makeshift homeless shelters. Some are serving as dumping grounds for trash or blocking catch basins for street drainage, the mayor’s office said.
“Outdoor dining has transformed New York City and saved 100,000 jobs during the pandemic, but we cannot allow abandoned dining sheds to litter our streets,” Mr.