Astoria Building Collapses Amid Demolition, Spilling Debris On Street

ASTORIA, QUEENS — A warehouse building near the Astoria waterfront collapsed on Thursday as it was being demolished, spilling debris onto the street and prompting an emergency response.

The one-story building at 11-24 31st Drive, just east of Vernon Boulevard, collapsed just before 2 p.m., according to an FDNY spokesperson.

There were no injuries and the building was vacant, according to the FDNY. A spokesperson for the Department of Buildings told Patch that part of the warehouse's wall and roof collapsed during demolition work.

When Patch arrived about an hour later, the site had been cordoned off but the damage was evident: the building's wooden roof had fallen in on itself, with bricks and green plywood construction fencing toppling outward onto the sidewalk.

Multiple neighbors who were surveying the scene said they heard a loud noise as the collapse began.

"I heard a crash and debris," said Keris Lové, who lives in the apartment building next door. "I had my balcony door open and I ran outside — I looked down and saw my car."

Lové's Chevrolet SUV was parked directly in front of the warehouse building, and appeared to have suffered damage, along with a couple of other adjacent vehicles.

A permit for the building's demolition was issued on March 18 to Long Island-based Superb Construction Management, city records show. A DOB spokesperson said the agency is investigating the collapse.

In 2020, the building's owner, Meshulem Z. Twersky, filed plans for a new eight-story apartment building on the site, but the existing building remained standing until Thursday.