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April 26, 2007
DDDB PRESS RELEASE: Ward Bakery Building Partially Collapses
While Ratner Contractors Work on Building
Department of Buildings and Empire State Development Corporation Should Halt All Demolition Activity on Atlantic Yards Site Until Full Investigation and Proper Monitoring Body is in Place
BROOKLYN, NY— Fortunately nobody was hurt today when the entire northern parapet of the Ward Bakery Building collapsed onto the street, sidewalk and parked cars below. Developer Forest City Ratner (FCR) is allegedly undertaking asbestos abatement on the building preliminary to a scheduled June demolition of the building for its “Atlantic Yards” project. The building would be demolished to create “interim surface parking” for an indefinite period of time. The 97-year old building was denied landmark status by the City Landmarks Commission but has stood stable over nearly one century. In fact, in March, the developer removed protective sidewalk sheds from the perimeter of the building where the collapse occurred.
The city’s Building Enforcement Safety Team, or BEST Squad, which inspects buildings prior to allowing demolition, found no unsafe issues or hazardous conditions in the Ward Bakery during their pre-demolition inspection.
“The Ward Bakery Building has stood solidly in our community for nearly one century without any problem. It certainly raises many questions that now that the developer has entered the building all of a sudden an entire parapet collapses. We are calling on the city’s Department of Buildings and the Bloomberg Administration to halt all of Forest City Ratner’s scheduled demolitions until the Ward Bakery collapse is fully investigated," said Develop Don’t Destroy spokesman Daniel Goldstein. "Also, the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) — the public state corporation overseeing the Ratner project — must insist that Forest City Ratner stop all demolition on the project site until this collapse is fully investigated and the building stabilized, and until the public can be assured that there is a proper and responsive state-run site-monitoring body in place.”
Residents and community organizations around the project site have been calling for proper ESDC oversight of activity on the project site for many months, with no positive result from the state agency.
A long-term homeless shelter housing 94 families and 350 residents, adjacent to the Ward Bakery Building, was evacuated by the New York City Fire Department, and it is unclear when the residents will be allowed to return to the facility. The Red Cross was due out to the site to give assistance to the families waiting on Dean Street after they were evacuated.
“We simply don’t believe that the building was unstable, that is, until Ratner’s contractors went in; in fact, Ratner apparently studied the structural integrity of its holdings in the footprint just a year ago, and concededly found no basis for concern with regard to the Ward Bakery. Had they thought the building was unstable, you have to believe that Ratner would have taken at least the precautionary measure of placing protective sidewalk sheds along the building in order to safeguard the community,” Goldstein said. “We are very fortunate nobody was hurt by the heavy falling debris that cascaded down five stories to the sidewalk and street below. There should be no ‘next time,’ and the ESDC has got to ensure that.”
At least fifteen demolitions are scheduled to take place between now and the end of June. Although approximately 50 buildings would need to be demolished to make way for construction of the project, currently many of those buildings are owned or occupied by private individuals or entities. Thirteen of those owners and regulated renters are currently in federal court alleging that the use of eminent domain for “Atlantic Yards” violates the United States Constitution. If they win their suit, they will retain the right to their properties and leases, their properties will not be demolished, and “Atlantic Yards" cannot be built.
Posted by lumi at April 26, 2007 4:54 PM