Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Water infiltration and lack of maintenance caused a brick facade to come tumbling down from a three-story building in Greenpoint in Brooklyn, NYC


Tuesday, June 19, 2018 07:55PM
GREENPOINT, Brooklyn (WABC) --

A building in Brooklyn had to be evacuated Tuesday following a partial facade collapse.

It happened on Java Street between Franklin Street and Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint.

A brick facade came tumbling down from a three-story building, leaving the front porch completely covered in bricks.

Some residents on either side of the building also had to be evacuated.

A car in the driveway was crushed, but there are no reports of any injuries.

The FDNY and the Department of Buildings are on the scene. The DOB said its preliminary investigation determined that the collapse occurred due to water infiltration in the masonry. Of course the lack of repairs and maintenance are major contributing factors.

There is no immediate danger of further collapse, officials said.



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Building Facade Tumbles Down in Greenpoint
By Gus Rosendale
Published at 6:50 PM EDT on Jun 19, 2018 | Updated at 12:18 AM EDT on Jun 20, 2018

Authorities are investigating what caused the facade of a three-story home in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn to suddenly collapse, sending bricks and debris raining onto the sidewalk below.

A Department of Buildings spokesman says it appears water infiltration in the masonry caused the partial facade collapse at 113 Java St., between Franklin and Manhattan avenues, early Tuesday evening.

A fire official on scene said the FDNY is also investigating the cause, and it's possible that vibrations from so much construction in the area was a factor.

Of course the lack of repairs and maintenance are major contributing factors.
 
No injuries were reported; there's no immediate danger of further collapse, the DOB says.


Chopper 4 over the scene show broken and bent windows, with bricks strewn all over the ground.

Neighbor Lori Jones, who lives next door, said she had returned home moments earlier and just missed the bricks falling on top of her.

"I was just getting in... Glad I got home before," she said. "It could have been a lot worse."