Brooklyn Building Facade Collapses Amid Nor'easter, Displacing Residents
High winds from a nor'easter caused exterior stucco to fall from a Brooklyn apartment building, damaging an adjacent home and forcing residents to evacuate.
High winds from a nor'easter caused exterior stucco to fall from a Brooklyn apartment building, damaging an adjacent home and forcing residents to evacuate.
· Updated
A section of the exterior facade of a six-story apartment building in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn, detached and fell onto an adjacent property during a recent nor'easter. The incident occurred Saturday at 61 Clarkson Ave., with high winds contributing to the collapse of the stucco exterior. The falling debris damaged the roof, front yard, and car of the neighboring home owned by Thema Hepburn and Chester Dean, who were inside their residence at the time.
The Department of Buildings (DOB) responded to the scene and found that the dislodged stucco had landed on the sidewalk and the adjacent property. While no one was injured, the DOB issued a full vacate order for 63 Clarkson Ave. due to damage affecting egress. Hepburn, Dean, their toddler, and tenants of their home were displaced and are awaiting the installation of a sidewalk shed before they can return.
The owner of the apartment building, Clarkson Parnasa LLC, has been ordered by the DOB to install a sidewalk shed and to have an engineer assess the condition of the facade. The management company for the building, Cobella Realty, acknowledged the incident in an email to tenants, stating they are treating the structural issue with urgency.
Hepburn described the experience as psychologically taxing and disruptive, forcing her to take time off work. Their car was totaled by the falling debris. Concerns have also been raised by neighbors regarding the quality of construction in new developments in the area.
FAQ
What caused the building facade to fall?
High winds from a nor'easter contributed to the dislodging and collapse of the exterior stucco from the apartment building.
Were any residents injured in the incident?
No one was reported to be injured as a result of the facade collapse.