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Collapsed NYC Building Cited For Structural Issues

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Jun 22, 2009 7:37 pm US/Eastern

Collapsed NYC Building Cited For Structural Issues

Buildings Department Found Problems At Brooklyn Apartment Complex Weeks Ago

Reporting
John Slattery

NEW YORK (CBS) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 2: The aftermath of a four-story building collapse at Ryerson and Myrtle in Brooklyn, N.Y., June 21, 2009.
CBS
Click to enlarge 2 of 2: Members of the FDNY and other rescuers respond to the collapse of a four-story building, visible on the right side of the image, at Ryerson and Myrtle in Brooklyn, N.Y., June 21, 2009.
Irwin Chen, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn

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An investigation is underway into the cause of a building collapse in Brooklyn.

The apartment building had been cited for structural problems just weeks prior to the collapse. Now, people are wondering if the Buildings Department did enough in ordering the building's owner to make repairs.

At the pile of rubble, where one building collapse brought down another, city officials said there may have been many factors, including weather.

"Wind and rain we've had over the last several weeks can be a contributing factor," NYC Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri said.

It was just before 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon when a four-story building from the late 1800s collapsed. Residents said they felt the shaking. Eric Williams, who ran outside, suffered only a leg injury.

"By the time I got to the door, it collapsed just like that," Williams said.

On May 1, the Buildings Department had been called because of an exterior crack.

An inspector and an engineer had to determine whether they should merely put the owner on notice for repairs, or order the building evacuated.

"The decision at that time was that it didn't require that we immediately vacate," LiMandri said. "We issued a violation, and that the owner was on notice to go ahead and do the work."

The building's owner, William Sang, hired a contractor and the work was underway, with a scaffold attached to the buildings – another factor which officials say could also have contributed to the collapse. Also, a building inspector will sometimes note that a building requires a return inspection. This one, it was decided, didn't need a second visit.

The buildings Department will investigate whether the owner acted properly, whether the contractor acted properly, and whether the initial inspector and engineer got it wrong in allowing repairs to go forward.

In all, there were only four minor injuries, but three nearby buildings remain vacated. The 22 displaced residents are being housed by the Red Cross.

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