Demolition continued next to collapsed NYC building despite stop work order, violation says

New York City Demolition continued next to collapsed NYC building despite stop work order, violation says It is not clear whether demolition of the prior building or excavation at the construction site after demolition contributed to the collapse of 1321 Flatbush Avenue, the building that toppled on Wednesday. By Chris Glorioso • Published November 12, 2026 • Updated 22 minutes ago Before a deadly apartment building collapse in Brooklyn, the owners of a neighboring property continued demolishing a one-story building despite an order to stop work, according to a violation issued by New York City's Department of Buildings. The summons, dated April 23, 2026, says workers at 2625 Bedford Avenue continued demolishing the structure, even though city inspectors ordered a halt to the work one month prior. Stream NBC 5 for free, 24/7, wherever you are. WATCH HERE “During re-inspection, current pictures were compared to the previous pictures taken on 3/20/26, which at that time, there was a one-story building remaining on site,” the inspector wrote. “The current conditions of the site shows the entire building was demolished. Respondents failed to comply with the Stop Work Order.” It is not clear whether demolition of the prior building or excavation at the construction site after demolition contributed to the collapse of 1321 Flatbush Avenue, the building that toppled on Wednesday, killing at least eight people. According to city officials, excavation was taking place Wednesday at some point prior to the collapse. The violation from April lists “N Tech Design of America” as the demolition company penalized for the improper work. According to city records, a $10,000 fine was paid and the violation was resolved. Reps for N Tech Design of America did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to city records, 2625 is owned by a limited liability company with Robert Fischman listed as a principal. Messages for Fischman and his associates were not immediately returned. U.S. & World USMNT 41 minutes ago Head coach Mauricio Pochettino leaves USMNT for Manchester United Technology 4 hours ago Microsoft outage continues worldwide as company struggles to restore services After the violation was cleared up, workers on the property began digging to build a foundation for the building that would replace the old structure. Before construction workers began excavating, private inspectors hired by the construction site developer found “major deficiencies” along the north wall of 1321 Flatbush Avenue. According to a pre-construction inspection report, the north exterior of the building was “in poor condition with noticeable cracks identified on the surface of the façade.” It’s not clear if those exterior cracks belied any structural problems with the building. Authors of the inspection report said their photographic survey was intended to “document current conditions of the structure and its surroundings to establish a baseline for monitoring potential impacts from nearby construction activities.” Neither the authors of the pre-construction inspection report nor the owners of the collapsed building responded immediately to NBC New York request for comment. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke the morning after a residential building collapsed in Brooklyn, killing at least 8 people and injuring 19 others. This article tagged under: New York City Brooklyn