Several EVG readers have passed along word of a partial collapse at the under-renovation townhouse at 356 E. Eighth St. There is an
unconfirmed report that one of the workers at the site was killed in the collapse that occurred earlier today, according to the super of a building on the block between Avenue C and Avenue D.
As of 2 p.m., a reader reported that the site is cordoned off... with building and police officials on hand.
There isn't any other information available at the moment. We'll update as necessary.
As previously reported, the vacant townhouse had been on and off the market in recent years (
here and
here). The most recent listing pitched the space for "high-end apartments or a luxury home."
Recently approved
work permits show that the existing 4-level structure will receive two new floors and a mezzanine. Here's the all-cap DOB recap of the permit:
FILED HEREWITH PLANS AND APPLICATIONS TO ADD A SIX STORY HORIZONTAL REAR ENLARGEMENT AND A THREE STORY + MEZZANINE VERTICAL ENLARGEMENT WITH SIX FAMILIES TO AN EXISTING FOUR STORY, THREE FAMILY BUILDING.
[
EVG photo from September]
The owner is an LLC with a Kew Gardens address, according to
DOB paperwork.
Here's a photo of the house from 2014...
Updated 12/25
The city has issued a Full Vacate on the address... "due to stability concerns," according to
the DOB website...
The Firemen's Garden next to the property has also been hit with a Full Vacate...
As for the report from a neighboring super about a worker fatality... we have not heard anything further about this. There is a candle at the scene now. Someone wrote "May the Lord be with you now and forever."
According to the DOB website, the FDNY ordered the inspection after a worker fell from the third to first floor.
Updated 12/27
There is a new chalk message outside the site ... along with more candles...
"May God Bless your soul eternally. Godspeed."
Updated 1/11
A reliable source says that the construction worker who died was a 33-year-old man from El Salvador, a married father of five. The accident happened around 11 a.m., and the man died later that afternoon at a hospital. According to the source, workers were demolishing the existing rear wall when a large chunk of masonry broke off and somehow landed on the scaffolding the was on and he fell.
