All stories about "Construction Accidents"

Here's a shot of some falling hunks of brick on Roebling Street in Williamsburg today, sent in by someone who almost had a close encounter with a former piece of wall. The little accident happened at N. 11 St. & Roebling, where a building is being demolished for the expansion of Warehouse 11. Like the original, the expanded version will be a Karl Fischer. Our tipster writes:

The following wall of bricks fell through the construction site wooden wall on Roebling between North 11 and North 10 almost crushing the man in the picture and his 5-yr old son. My wife and 9 month old son were about 10 steps behind them and obviously got pretty disturbed. The workers didn't acknowledge the accident and summarily started cleaning up the mess. Police were called but didn't do anything because no one was hurt, so the only choice was to file a 311 report.

1) The leading concrete testing company in the New York area, Testwell Laboratories, is under investigation for failing to perform some tests and falsifying others on some major construction projects, including the Freedom Tower and the new Yankee Stadium. The Yankees and the Port Authority both say the concrete used for their projects is sound and poses no safety threat, but yikes! Investigators took 200 boxes of documents and computers from a pair of Testwell offices, as well as from a trailer at Yankee Stadium. ['Company Hired to Test Concrete Faces Scrutiny']

2) The condo conversion of the Apthorp is a go, and when the 163 apartments in the Astor-built complex at Broadway and West 79th Street (right) hit the market, they will average about $3,000/sqft, more than the initial offering at 15 Central Park West. The average apartment price will be about $6.5 million, and current Apthorp tenants are not getting any insider deals, though they do have an early crack at any apartment in the building they want. Sales open to the general public in the fall. It's Manhattan's second-most-expensive condo conversion, behind Manhattan House. [Big Deal/Condos at Pedigree Prices]

3) Rumors of Hoboken's demise have been greatly exaggerated: "Average sales prices are still increasing for downtown condominiums in Hoboken, although most asking prices are open to negotiation these days, as several developers acknowledged in interviews. Developers say that their new buildings are still selling out, if somewhat slower than in the past." Take that, supposed down market! ['Hoboken Weathers the Market']

4) If you want to know how the rest of the country lives, look to Staten Island, where income and homeownership figures are similar to those icky other places. And in Staten Island, foreclosures are a "grimly familiar tale." ['Fighting Foreclosure on Staten Island']

1) James Delayo, the Buildings Department crane inspector arrested on Friday for taking bribes and selling copies of a crane operators' exam, was released on his own recognizance after appearing in court. The charges against him include bribe-receiving and tampering with public records, both felonies that could carry seven year prison terms (and can we tack on some extra time for wearing a bandana as a belt?). The 26-year DOB veteran, who was promoted following the March 15 crane collapse that killed seven, allegedly took money in exchange for issuing licenses to Class C crane operators (smaller than the tower cranes that have been falling on the city) that worked for Nu-Way Crane Service in Copiague. Delayo has been suspended without pay. ['Top City Crane Inspector Accused of Taking Bribes'/NYT]

2) When the moneyed citizens of the Upper East Side aren't busy fighting churches, they turn their attention to those banners that the Department of Transportation hangs on lampposts to advertise things going on in New York. One staunch blue blood even refers to them as "dirty laundry." [The City/Gregory Beyer]

3) A graphic designer who grew up in Soho wants to move out of his parents' Broome Street loft, but his budget is $300,000. With not many places to turn, he opts for a studio on the Far West Side near the Lincoln Tunnel and West Side Rail Yards. It reminds him of the Soho of his youth, he says, and he digs the seediness and drug addicts. [The Hunt/Joyce Cohen]

4) Want to sell your apartment eventually? Then don't put any of your personality into it whatsoever. Yeesh, does anybody look at a home as a home anymore, and not just an investment? ['Start in Neutral'/Teri Karush Rogers]

The Buildings Department's acting chief crane inspector was arrested today on corruption charges. The arrest comes a week after a crane collapse on East 91st Street killed two construction workers, and after the district attorney's office launched an investigation into the accident. City Room is reporting that he was charged with taking bribes to approve cranes, and for taking money from operators who wanted to ensure they would pass the licensing exam. James Delayo surrendered this morning and will be arraigned later tonight. Officials say the accusations do not involve the inspections of tower cranes, such as the one that collapsed last week and the one in Turtle Bay that collapsed on March 15, when a crane inspector was arrested and charged with falsifying reports.

Acting DOB Commissioner Robert LiMandri just issued this statement: "I'm outraged by today’s news. Employees who violate our Code of Conduct tarnish the reputation of our many hard-working employees at the Buildings Department. I’d like to thank Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn and her staff for their swift action. There is much work to be done with the Cranes & Derricks Unit, and we are in the midst of a full operational overhaul. Our number one priority is to ensure the Department’s staff conduct their jobs with the utmost integrity as we continue to forge ahead with our reforms."
· City’s Top Crane Inspector Is Arrested [City Room]
· Crane Collapse coverage [Curbed]

[Photo via Flickr/seth_holladay]

CITY HALL—At an afternoon press conference, Mayor Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and acting Buildings Department Commissioner Robert LiMandri announced a sweeping overhaul of the DOB's oversight of construction sites. And the smackdown hath cometh! There are plenty of increased safety and enforcement tweaks (Project Safety Monitors will be assigned to sites with troubled histories), but the biggest headline appears to be that all general contractors and subcontractors will need to obtain a safety control number, so that the DOB can monitor them more closely. Too many screw-ups and that number can be suspended or revoked, essentially crippling that firm or company's ability to do business. Of course, all of this legislation needs to get passed, but you'd best believe Blooomberg is cracking the whip on this one. Some highlights of the proposals...