Building Collapses in Williamsburg

Pictures from Gowanus Lounge


Monday, December 03, 2007

Gravity Thwarted on Grand Street?

Never mind that the building on Grand Street that is being demolished and almost self-demolished is now very braced. You still get an unsettling feeling looking up at the wall that started to crack away recently and appears to have come very close to making some building collapse headlines. Brooklyn 11211 first noted the Crack Problem on Grand Street on Friday. We stopped by over the weekend and found it quite impressive, and also found a News 12 car parked outside. The building dates to the mid-19th Century and apparently started to succumb to vibrations from demolition or simply decided to end it all on its own terms. The project also earned a Stop Work Order, but for expired permit rather than the crack problem. A 14-story Karl Fischer "Monster Tower" will be flipping major bird to the neighborhood rising here and iving Grand Street a bold new look.
other collapses.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A07E6DF1F3CF937A15752C1A96F958260
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0051,robbins,20842,5.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/20/nyregion/20collapse.html?pagewanted=print
Fingered Again: 'Monster Tower' Approved at Driggs & Grand
Tuesday, May 22, 2007, by Robert
Don't look now, but it appears that a another finger-ish building is going to be flipping a touch of bird in Williamsburg. A neighborhood correspondent who's been keeping tabs on the progress of a proposed 14-story building at Driggs and Grand Street in the Burg passes on word that it's been approved. Our correspondent writes:

It looks like plans have been approved for the Karl Fischer monster (219-224 Grand, not the empty lot). Approved yesterday for 14 stories! City Planning was supposed to review the area and possibly landmark Fillmore place but I guess someone's palm got greased. Residents received letters just last week saying the area was under review.
That's the rendering of "The Grand Tower" from the website of Karl Fischer Architects.
· New Williamsburg Tall Building Smackdown Coming [Curbed]
· Grand Street Foreplay Destructoporn [Curbed]