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August 16, 2007
FCR Can't 'Ward' Off Fines
Brooklyn Downtown Star
Norman Oder's report of the Department of Buildings investigation into the Ward Barkery parapet collapse, the consequences and the future of the rest of the building:
The Department of Buildings (DOB) says Atlantic Yards developer Forest City Ratner and its contractor should have taken more care to avoid an alarming incident on April 26, when a 200-foot section of the parapet of the Ward Bakery in Prospect Heights collapsed, raining debris on Pacific Street, prompting the evacuation of a neighboring homeless shelter but not causing any injuries.
The contractor was using scrapers and electric chipping hammers to remove asbestos-containing materials as a prelude to demolition of the building for the Atlantic Yards Project. DOB's conclusions, in a report dated "July 2007," were first reported August 10 by the New York Daily News.
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The DOB assigned violations to both Forest City Ratner and a subsidiary for "failure to maintain the exterior building wall" and to demolition contractor Gateway Demolition Corporation for "failure to safeguard persons and property during building work." Forest City Ratner spokesman Bruce Bender told the Daily News, "We believed at the time that all safety measures were being taken." A report commissioned earlier by the developer, conducted by Thornton Tomasetti, had indicated deterioration in the building. The maximum penalty per violation is typically a $2,500 fine, to be determined by the Environmental Control Board.
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There are no plans to preserve the bakery as of now. According to a statement issued Monday by the Empire State Development Corporation, "The double-shift abatement and emergency demolition work on the parapets at 800 Pacific Street will continue for the next three to four weeks. Once this work is completed, demolition of the rest of the building will commence."
Posted by lumi at August 16, 2007 9:59 AM