Rooftop deck - Pros and cons?

I don't know if it actually adds discernable value, but it is an amentity that could help units sell faster. It makes the building appealing. People like the idea of these rooftops more than they actually use them, I find. And since they can be installed at minimal expense and cost almost nothing to maintain thereafter, it seems an acceptable coop expense. Assuming the roof can accommodate people without major modification, all you really have to do is install decking, seating, some planters, water source for planters and washing the area down, and put cleaning on the maintenance schedule of the staff. Insurance should be nominal but will depend upon how the space is configured and particular risks. If use of space will impact penthouse tenants' quiet use and enjoyment of their unit(s), how the building will deal with this must be considered. Building also will have to decide policies and should do so ahead of time so if opening the roof is put to a vote of the shareholders, the shareholders know what they will get. For example, will space be available for parties, BBQ'ing, smoking, pets, hours and months of intended operation. Setting expectations correctly from the start helps to ensure harmonious living.

Kyle--what about shareholders living directly below the roof? What sort of impact, if any, might they have from noise from a public area right above their heads? Or can this be mitigated with a properly-built deck?

Sorry--that came out wrong--what I meant to say is: What kind of impact, if any, would a public deck have on the shareholders living directly below it?

Noise for apartments below roof should of course be considered, but with proper decking and depending upon the space between the apartment ceilings and roof surface, noise may not be an issue. No radio rules should likely be in place and house rules requiring respectful noise levels can't hurt. In the buildings I've lived in with roof decks (2), noise wasn't a problem. I think it would be a decent idea to invite the top floor tenants under the proposed deck area to experiment with the board to see if the noise actually does travel at all.

What height is that roof? Too high & I would think that the enjoyment level would be practically nil.

>I think it would be a decent idea to invite the top floor tenants under the proposed deck area to experiment with the board to see if the noise actually does travel at all.

Agreed, in fact, top floor tenants may like it the most as they are one flight away from "their" roof deck and may end up using it the most.

As a top-floor tenant, I'd LOVE IT if my co-op had built a roof deck. We are going through the lengthy and expensive process of building a private roof deck. We would gladly share this space with our neighbors in exchange for paying only a fraction of the cost, but there is absolutely no way to get a staircase to the roof of our brownstone building except through our unit.

It's about 30 floors but I've been up there on a few occasions (board permitted) and wind doesn't seem to be a factor and the views are spectacular.

Thanks, Kyle--that makes a lot of sense. Lad--you are so lucky--I would vastly prefer a private roof space to a communal one. There's really no comparison, IMO.

I was in a condo (UES, 41 fl.) that sort of wants to put a roof deck up there. I can tell you that there's no way to enjoy any outdoor that high up. Even without the wind, it's plain scary and even the park views don't change that: not much view from that hight.

To echo KyleWest... Perceived cons are when people are not on the same page regarding the roofdeck as public space.. which is why the roofdeck must have a set of clearly delineated rules which shareholders should agree upon/sign. For example... no glass of any kind (broken glass that someone accidently steps on=potential lawsuit).. pet policy/barbecue policy (imho I believe it better not to allow barbecuing on any roofdeck, not even private balconies..) /smoking policy/child policy (on a roofdeck I am familiar with, someone brought up a fairly large child's play set, which some shareholders were not that happy about..) party policy, hours of it being open and locked, etc..