Is 26 Avenue B ready for its new building now?

It appears that work is ready to resume at 26 Avenue B between East Second Street and East Third Street, where there have been approved plans for a new 8-unit, 6-floor residential building.

Work stopped here in April 2013, after excavation at the site caused the evacuation of the residents (and Croxley Ales) next-door at No. 28. A resident at No. 28 started to notice cracks in her ceiling after construction began, DNAinfo reported. Debris also reportedly fell from the building.

In subsequent months/years, workers made structural repairs to No. 28.

The empty lot now has freshly painted plywood … and a rendering, basically showing the apartment building above the Duane Reade next door…



The lot itself remains empty…



… though it does seems like a good spot for some sun…



This space was once home to the Croxley Ales beer garden.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] 6-story apartment building ready to rise from the former Croxley Ales beer garden

[Updated] Report: 28 Avenue B has been evacuated

Full-stop work order served at construction site adjacent to evacuated Avenue B building

Resident wants stuff back that workers took from not abandoned apartment

Resident wants stuff back that workers took from not abandoned apartment

Workers have been making structural repairs to 28 Avenue B, which was damaged last April during excavation work in the empty lot next door.

Perhaps there has been some confusion on the part of the workers over who, exactly, is living in No. 28.

We spotted this sign on the plywood in front of the entrance to the construction site last week.



Apparently the crew didn't pay enough attention to the sign.

It's now taped to the sidewalk outside the entrance.



Not quite as bad as this worker gaffe … but it really sucks.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Report: 28 Avenue B has been evacuated

Full-stop work order served at construction site adjacent to evacuated Avenue B building

[Updated] 6-story apartment building ready to rise from the former Croxley Ales beer garden

Sidewalk bridge arrives outside dormant construction site on Avenue B

A small sidewalk bridge arrived this week outside 26 Avenue B… this is the site for a 6-floor apartment building … excavation work here last April 16 "possibly contributed" to the evacuation of residents next door after a crack was discovered running all the way up the back of the building.

A partial Stop Work Order remains in effect on the site of the new building. However, the city OK'd a permit in late November for "structural repair work" for 28 Avenue B.

At this point, we're not sure how many people are living in the building. The city rescinded the vacate order for residents on July 12. (Croxley Ales was able to reopen for business on June 27.)

As EVG regular Salim has noted, the entryway for residents to No. 28 appears supported by jacks, and many of the windows on the upper floors look vacant.

Meanwhile, there aren't any noticeable changes to the construction site, which remains dormant.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Report: 28 Avenue B has been evacuated

Full-stop work order served at construction site adjacent to evacuated Avenue B building

[Updated] 6-story apartment building ready to rise from the former Croxley Ales beer garden

A sign at Croxley's mentions the 'incompetent contractors next door'

[Last Thursday at 26 Avenue B via EVG reader Eric]

As we previously reported, there's a full Stop Work Order on 26 Avenue B, the construction site adjacent to No. 28, the building that had to be evacuated late last Monday afternoon..

Construction recently commenced in the empty lot on a new 6-story apartment building. DNAinfo reported that a resident at 28 Avenue B started to notice cracks in her ceiling after construction began.

The DOB noted the following about No. 28:

FDNY REQUESTS A STRUCTURAL STABILITY INSPECTION DUE TO VERTICAL CTACK AT REAR OF BUILDING FROM THE 1ST TO TOP FLOOR AND

Category Code: 30 BUILDING SHAKING/VIBRATING/STRUCT STABILITY AFFECTED

Aside from displacing residents, the evacuation shut down the tenant on the ground floor — Croxley Ales. And this sign arrived to greet would-be patrons this past weekend...



Also, the DOB is allowing partial work to continue at the construction site...to "perform stabilization" to 28 Avenue B, according to city records.

[H/t EVG reader Chad]

Full-stop work order served at construction site adjacent to evacuated Avenue B building

[From early last evening]

There's now a full Stop Work Order on 26 Avenue B, the construction site adjacent to the building that had to be evacuated on Monday evening. Construction recently commenced in the empty lot next door on a new 6-story apartment building.

DNAinfo reported that a resident at 28 Avenue B started to notice cracks in her ceiling after construction started in the lot. Debris also reportedly fell from the fifth floor yesterday afternoon.

An EVG Facebook friend said that the building shifted. "There's a crack that runs up the back of the building. It's like the building experienced an earthquake."

The DOB notes the following about No. 28:

FDNY REQUESTS A STRUCTURAL STABILITY INSPECTION DUE TO VERTICAL CTACK AT REAR OF BUILDING FROM THE 1ST TO TOP FLOOR AND

Category Code: 30 BUILDING SHAKING/VIBRATING/STRUCT STABILITY AFFECTED

On Monday night, the city issued a Full Vacate Order for No. 28, which also houses Croxley Ales on the ground-floor. The bar remains closed. According to their Facebook page Monday night:

[W]e are sorry to inform you that we will be closed this evening until further notice due to neighboring construction. But have no fear! We will soon be back and better than ever...stay tuned...!!

Here's more from the Vacate Order via the DOB:



Meanwhile, yesterday, we spotted crews busy inside the 26 Avenue B site next to the damaged building. The following report is on the DOB website now for 26 Avenue B:

EXCAVATION OCCURRING AT ACTIVE SITE HAS HIT AND DAMAGED BUILDING WITH LARGE GAPING SPACE ON OUTER FASCADE, BRICK IS FALLING W/ FDNY RESPONSE IN PROGRESS. DOB REQUESTED.

Category Code: 14 EXCAVATION - UNDERMINING ADJACENT BUILDING EXCAVATION : ADJACENT BUILDING UNDERMINED

Joe Ferrante, an FDNY battalion chief, told DNAinfo that excavation "possibly contributed" to the damage at No. 28. No official word when residents might be able to return.

The following photos, via EVG Facebook friend Edward Arrocha, are from last Thursday, and show the extent of the work that was taking place inside the 26 Avenue B lot before Monday's discovery ...







And I was reminded that there were two major fires at 28 Avenue B ... one in 1994 that knocked out Collective: Unconscious and later when the storefront housed an electronic repair shop ...

Updated 8:36 a.m.



Per a reader:

"Imagine my surprise this morning when I walked past the lot at 26 Av B and saw excavation continuing. I called 311 and they said that the DOB would address the issue "within 1 1/2 business days". Here's to bureaucracy."

Perhaps they are there to help shore up the side of No. 28?
Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] 6-story apartment building ready to rise from the former Croxley Ales beer garden

[Updated] Report: 28 Avenue B has been evacuated

[Updated] Report: 28 Avenue B has been evacuated

#Manhattan *UNSTABLE BUILDING* 28 Ave B & E 2 St. #FDNY has cracks from 1st to 2nd floor. Building has been evacuated & req buildings dept
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) April 16, 2013

This is the building with Croxley Ales on the ground floor...


[Google]

This was filed with the DOB at 3:48:

Re: FDNY REQUESTS A STRUCTURAL STABILITY INSPECTION DUE TO VERTICAL CTACK AT REAR OF BUILDING FROM THE 1ST TO TOP FLOOR AND

Category Code: 30 BUILDING SHAKING/VIBRATING/STRUCT STABILITY AFFECTED

Construction recently started in the empty lot next door on a new 6-story apartment building...


[April 2]

Updated 4:28

Via EVG reader David... firefighters waiting across the street...



Updated 4:35

Unconfirmed reports that adjacent buildings have also been evacuated...


[Via @black_von]

Updated 4:54


[EVG reader David]

Avenue B between East Second Street and East Third Street remains closed...

Updated 6 p.m.

Here's more information via DNAinfo, who reported that the evacuation occurred after debris started falling from the building's fifth floor earlier in the afternoon.

A woman who has lived in 28 Avenue B for 20 years said she started to notice cracks in her ceiling after construction started in a vacant lot at 26 Avenue B next-door to her building.

"It was shaking the building," said the woman, who would only give her first name, Charlotte, 40.

Also,the following report is on the DOB website now for 26 Avenue B, where the 6-story building is under way: "EXCAVATION WORK HAS UNDERMINED ADJACENT PROPERTY."

Joe Ferrante, an FDNY battalion chief, told DNAinfo that excavation "possibly contributed" to the damage. The developer did not have a comment yet from the developer.

Updated 6:49 p.m.

The DOB ordered that residents must stay out of 28 Avenue B for the foreseeable future


[Photo via @zigisitch]

Updated 7 p.m.

Avenue B is now back open between Second and Third.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] 6-story apartment building ready to rise from the former Croxley Ales beer garden