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Partial Facade Collapse At 125-Year-Old Chelsea Building
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 26, 2012
Modified Dec 26, 2012
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Cetra/Ruddy
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 26, 2012
Modified Dec 26, 2012
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Last night, part of the facade of a Chelsea building collapsed onto the sidewalk. Luckily, no one was injured but the authorities evacuated residents.
The building, the old O'Neill Department Store at 655 Sixth Avenue, was built in 1887 and was renovated into condominiums in 2007. According to MyFoxNY, "Parts of some decorative pillars, about 15 feet off the ground, crumbled off the ornate surface of the block-long building. The damage left a 4-to-5-foot-tall pile of bricks on the ground."
The bricks (MyFoxNY)
, "Part of the facade fell down and we all got evacuated from the building. We were given a few minutes to collect medication and everything we needed but I'm just a bit warm from running around and gather everything which is why I'm not wearing my coat."
There are supposedly cracks in the facade. WCBS 2 reports, "Buildings Department records show the facade was inspected in February and declared safe." Other renovation work has been taking place on the first floor of the building.
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655 sixth avenue
Chelsea
o'neill building
partial facade collapse
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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