Why is private sector construction still working in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Today in Maryland I have my neighbor getting a new addition worked on today. About 5 trucks and a dozen or so workman. Not a dust mask in sight.

Money talks.

Well, he probably signed a contract and the contractor wants to get paid soon will do the work rather than delay; even if the owner asked to delay, he would be violation of the contract by not allowing access and contractor could penalize him.

[Anonymous]

We've been in our house for weeks while home remodelers have been in close proximity (windows, doors, painting, roofing) of 1 foot! This is absurd!

[Anonymous]

I own a landscape company in Maryland and like builders and remodelers, we are allowed to still be working. You can look at the language of the proclamation from Gov. Hogan-I'm sure its very similar to what DC's will be. We protect our clients, ourselves and our families. If we got sick we couldn't work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I own a landscape company in Maryland and like builders and remodelers, we are allowed to still be working. You can look at the language of the proclamation from Gov. Hogan-I'm sure its very similar to what DC's will be. We protect our clients, ourselves and our families. If we got sick we couldn't work.

Ok but enough with the loud, gas-powered leaf blowers already!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Today in Maryland I have my neighbor getting a new addition worked on today. About 5 trucks and a dozen or so workman. Not a dust mask in sight.

Money talks.

Well, he probably signed a contract and the contractor wants to get paid soon will do the work rather than delay; even if the owner asked to delay, he would be violation of the contract by not allowing access and contractor could penalize him.

Force majeure baby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Today in Maryland I have my neighbor getting a new addition worked on today. About 5 trucks and a dozen or so workman. Not a dust mask in sight.

Money talks.

No dust masks to be had for love or money. It means that people who work anyway in dusty environments are more likely to get sick.

[Anonymous]

Construction is exempt as ‘essential infrastructure’ under most executive orders across the country. I work for a GC and it really is a hard balance. If we shut our sites down then our subcontractors and their employees won’t get paid. Most of those employees live paycheck-to-paycheck and they’re desperate for work.

This isn’t just self-serving commentary—if we had a national healthcare system and more paid leave, the answer would be different. More evidence of this—in jobs near borders where one state prohibits construction and the other allows it, we are seeing surplus labor coming over the border. Nobody wants to get sick but they want to feed their families even more.

[Anonymous]

Don’t you know that Wegman’s at City Ridge is an essential strategic District priority? We need it the sooner, the better. We’re in a housing crisis. There’s always some sacrifice involved in achieving a greater goal. Every fine omelette requires that eggs mist be broken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Construction is exempt as ‘essential infrastructure’ under most executive orders across the country. I work for a GC and it really is a hard balance. If we shut our sites down then our subcontractors and their employees won’t get paid. Most of those employees live paycheck-to-paycheck and they’re desperate for work.

This isn’t just self-serving commentary—if we had a national healthcare system and more paid leave, the answer would be different. More evidence of this—in jobs near borders where one state prohibits construction and the other allows it, we are seeing surplus labor coming over the border. Nobody wants to get sick but they want to feed their families even more.

I’m sympathetic to the workers but there are lots of sectors that are affected right now. Private construction projects have been halted in MA, MI, WA, NY and other states, except for emergency construction like for hospitals. It will be on Bowser’s head when there’s a spike in cases next week and the week following in DC with many contractors affected. Building more luxury apartments is not essential activity during a pandemic !

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Today in Maryland I have my neighbor getting a new addition worked on today. About 5 trucks and a dozen or so workman. Not a dust mask in sight.

Money talks.

No dust masks to be had for love or money. It means that people who work anyway in dusty environments are more likely to get sick.

Big construction sites, where tons of earth are being excavated and large amounts of concrete are being poured, are great emitters of carbon and particulate pollution. During a pandemic when people with respiratory ailments are among the most vulnerable, it makes sense to include large construction projects within the quarantine.

[Anonymous]

We are having our kitchen and breakfast area redone and started before the order. We haven’t had a kitchen to cook for three weeks. We are paying tens of thousands of dollars. The workers have already been exposed to us and they to us. Yes, the workers are still working, it keeps us all sane and I am grateful.


My neighbors are having their grass cut, gardening done, mulch out down, etc.

Mind your own business OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I own a landscape company in Maryland and like builders and remodelers, we are allowed to still be working. You can look at the language of the proclamation from Gov. Hogan-I'm sure its very similar to what DC's will be. We protect our clients, ourselves and our families. If we got sick we couldn't work.

+2, thank you for continuing to work during this time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are having our kitchen and breakfast area redone and started before the order. We haven’t had a kitchen to cook for three weeks. We are paying tens of thousands of dollars. The workers have already been exposed to us and they to us. Yes, the workers are still working, it keeps us all sane and I am grateful.


My neighbors are having their grass cut, gardening done, mulch out down, etc.

Mind your own business OP.

People are shit out of their closed workplaces and many have lost their jobs for the greater good of trying to contain virus spread. That’s all of our business. But enjoy your new kitchen and the view of your neighbors’ mulched, manicured lawns.

[Anonymous]

“Shut out” bit many are also SOL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The OP wants more people unemployed and more families destitute and dependent on the ruling class for survival. The OP fancies simpler times like 14th century Europe when everyone was impoverished and the Black Death claimed 75 to 200 million lives.

This. Also, construction workers often live 10 to a house, so it’s not like they’d be quarantined anyway. Quarantining is for the fancy . . .