Wall Collapse At W'burg Building Traps Cars Under Rubble

WILLIAMSBURG, NY — Contractors demolishing a building in Williamsburg where a wall collapsed onto cars Wednesday morning were using tools not approved by their permit, city building officials said.

The wall collapsed at just before 8:40 a.m. at the two-story building being demolished on Wythe Avenue between North 13th and North 14th streets, authorities said. Bricks and debris falling off the building damaged a few parked cars and some scaffolding.

No one was hurt in the incident, but owners of the cars were left waiting for hours to get to their vehicles while officials investigated and cleaned up the collapse. Police also closed Wythe Avenue to cars and pedestrians from North 13th Street to North 14th Street while they were on scene.

When investigating the collapse, building inspectors found that contractors at the 29 Wythe Avenue property were using machinery even though their permit to demolish the building only allowed hand tools, a Department of Building spokeswoman said.

DOB has now issued a full stop-work order for the site, along with a violation for failure to safeguard. The building officials are still investigating the cause of the collapse and working with the contractor and scaffolding company to remove debris, a DOB spokeswoman said.

The incident came about three months after Department of Buildings slapped the Wythe Avenue property with four construction violations in early January, records show. The property was given a partial stop-work order after contractors were illegally working on it after hours, a DOB spokeswoman said.

The contractors were still allowed, before the incident, to work during normal hours from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, she added.

One of the owners of the cars, a man named Adi, said waited at the property for hours to get to his car, which was covered in rubble. His father, who works nearby, had parked it there that morning.

"They said we have to wait for Department of Buildings to get it out," said Adi, who declined to give his last name. "I need (the car) later for work

Patch editor Anna Quinn contributed reporting.

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