A section of the cornice at 777 West End Avenue fell to the ground on Tuesday morning, and firefighters grabbed another section, according to a witness.
Firefighters were called to the building near 98th Street at 8:57 a.m., according to an FDNY spokesman. One section of the building had fallen and another was dangling, our tipster Paul wrote. A firefighter was on the roof grabbing the loose material. No one was reported injured, FDNY said.
The building was built in 1920, according to Streeteasy.
Two years ago, the city issued a violation when a large section of the cornice of a Riverside Drive building fell off.
Seriously, can you please include cross streets?
From the article: “Firefighters were called to the building near 98th Street”
From this photo, it looks like there is no sidewalk shed here, or perhaps a partial shed is obscured by the fire truck (based on Google Street View, dated Dec. 2017). Is that the case? This building was given an Unsafe status on the last TWO consecutive FISP reports (formerly called Local Law 11), and the Cycle 8 report says there are Unsafe conditions on all facades. It should have a shed all the way around the street facades to protect pedestrians. For some reason there is no “Failure to protect the public” violation here, even though it looks like there is not a shed all the way around. Perhaps it’s because a permit was pulled and repeatedly renewed for a 200′ long shed, so the DOB thought a 200′ long shed was actually built?
The Cycle 8 FISP report says that all required work to correct Unsafe conditions requires a permit, but no relevant jobs have been filed per the DOB website in the 2+ years since the report was filed Unsafe. Shame on this building owner.
Pedestrians should not walk around on the sidewalk near this building. Be safe, neighbors.
When there is an FISP filed ‘Unsafe’ DOB now immediately sends an inspector. If there is a dangerous condition present without a sidewalk shed in place
the fine is now $10,000. This is new since last fall. I would be surprised if there is not a sidewalk shed being erected there by Thursday morning.
As you noted, the area was only partially scaffolded – on 98th St. from their entrance awning heading west to the end of the building. The area where the cornice fell was blocked off with yellow caution tape.
“violation”
Two years ago?? That is terrifying. Someone could have been killed. Remember the tragedy at the Esplanade? I’ll take scaffolding over this.
Several years ago I was walking up West End Avenue – in the low 90s. Heard a loud sound which at first I thought was a manhole cover hitting the ground.
A huge chunk of decorative metal had fallen from the canopy of a building.
There was another pedestrian about 20 feet in front of me – and another about 20 feet behind.
All very lucky that day!
We called 911. I was happy once the police and fire department arrived, but the other 2 pedestrians insisted we track down the management co and owners of the building.
This was probably around the same time of the Esplanade tragedy.
I don’t feel very safe about walking under scaffolding . Eons ago (when I was a kid) scaffolding that I had just walked under collapsed. No one was hurt. And I hope they make scaffolding safer these days, But I still don’t like walking under it.
Esplanade? That was between Tony and Zellman.
Who owns this building and why isn’t the DOB doing more when there is a violation?
We live at 785 WEA, on the 16th floor, looking directly into this building at the cornice level where flocks of pigeons have made their home. It looks quite precarious, but oh so beautiful, that stripe of copper green against the sky. Hope they can shore it up to be safe, instead of ripping it off to be done with it. Fingers crossed.