Emergency demolition work is underway on the portion of the Bronx building that partially collapsed earlier this week.

Crews are working to remove pieces of the buildings floors and ceilings that were left dangling as high as seven stories in the air.

Work on the building, located at 915 Billingsley Terrace, started around 10 a.m. Thursday morning and is expected to take multiple days to complete.

The Department of Buildings said Thursday afternoon that demolition work will be paused at some point later Thursday to allow for residents who live in the south wing of the building to retrieve some of their belongings.

Some tenants will not be able to retrieve their belongings. That includes the Zavaleta family, who lived at apartment 53 inside of 1915 Billingsley Terrace.

For the last four decades, the apartment was a safe haven for the Zavaletas.

Over the years, several family members have called it home. But after Mondays partial building collapse, it is now a danger zone, and therefore being demolished.

So when tenants are allowed to return to their apartments Thursday to get some of their belongings, Diana Vargas and her family will not.

My mother is no longer with us, and I have, we all have specific items to remember by her, and I'm just not getting that back, Diana Vargas said.

Vargas was at work during the time of the partial collapse. The clothes she wore and her work bag are all she has from her apartment.

She said the material items are replaceable, but the thought of never wearing her late mothers jewelry or flipping through old photos of her makes her emotional.

They told us no, like, we can't go back in. And I wish I could get my photos album with her, her perfume, her rings that I had of her. We had a blanket that she left behind. And I am not getting none of that back, she said.

Vargas sister and nephew were home at the time of the collapse. Her nephew was on his way into his bedroom as the floor began falling through.

Though they feel lucky they were able to get out safely, Vargas said they lost everything, and that the landlord and city are to blame.

If that building has so many violations, why do we get bypassed? Like, why was nothing being done? And all the complaints that we made to 311, like what happened there? she said.

Vargas, her family and some of her neighbors have been put up in a Brooklyn hotel by the Red Cross, but they have to check out by 11 a.m. Friday.

She said they have submitted all their paperwork to the city to get placement in a shelter.

We dont got no details. We dont know where were being placed, how far out, Vargos said.

Vargas has reached out to her local elected officials, asking if she can direct emergency personnel to find some of those sentimental items before everything is demolished.

She said she is holding out hope, but doesnt know if that is going to be possible.

Read more:
Demolition work on partially collapsed Bronx building underway - Spectrum News NY1

By Jimmy Settle

City of Clarksville

The City of Clarksville Building & Codes Department is aware that some apartment owners whose buildings were damaged by the Dec. 9, 2023, Clarksville tornado may intend to have those structures demolished without proper City permitting.

The City understands that the owners may not fully understand the correct procedure for demolition.

Interim Building & Codes Director Justin Crosby says his department wants to work with those apartment owners, to ensure the process is handled correctly, and safely.

We have been notified of some apartment owners that have started evacuating buildings with the intention to demolish the structures without permits, Crosby said. We want the community to know about our demolition process.

Crosby said the demolition permitting process, which also includes single-family homes as well as multi-family, is primarily a safety measure that is in place, in large part, to formally ensure that all Clarksville Gas & Water and CDE Lightband utilities have been shut off and disconnected. Representatives of the utilities, themselves, are also engaged in the demolition authorization process.

Realizing that private owners are eager to move forward with tornado recovery on their properties, Crosby said his department will put all demolition permits on an accelerated timetable.

Please contact Clarksville Building & Codes at (931) 645-7426 for further assistance.

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For safety, City requires proper demolition permits in tornado recovery | ClarksvilleNow.com - Clarksville Now

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NPS to hold public meeting for proposed demolition of structures within NRGNPP - Lootpress

The local district attorneys office said Thursday that it had opened an investigation into the stunning Bronx building collapsethat displaced more than 100 people, though it remained unclear what caused the structural failure.

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clarks spokesman, Eric Steltzer, said the prosecutors office was probing any possible criminality that may have led to the partial collapse of the seven-story structure in Morris Heights.

The brick building had been flagged for more than 100 violations, according to city records. But the Buildings Department said it had no record of any open violations related to structural issues at the time of the collapse.

On Monday, the corner of the 96-year-old building crumbled to the street, opening six levels to the frosty December elements. Ceilings on four levels sagged against the walls. At the bottom of the building, a mountain of debris poured onto the pavement.

Nobody died or was seriously injured.

The 47-unit building, located on Billingsley Terrace, is owned by 1915 Realty LLC. David Kleiner, the manager of the building, said by phone Thursday that he had no clue what caused the collapse.

The corner came down after extensive work on the building over the past few months that had nearly reached completion, Kleiner said. He said he has worked with the Red Cross to relocate residents, and has hired security to protect the tenants belongings.

Responding to the Bronx district attorneys investigation, Kleiner said, I dont think theres any criminality, but added, Theyre welcome to check.

It was in perfect condition it was just upgraded, he said of the building. Im very confident.

He declined to say how many buildings he manages in the city, abruptly hanging up when asked.

Richard Koenigsberg, an engineer previously hired by the buildings owner to inspect the property, deemed the building unsafe in reports he filed with the city in 2020 and 2021 after finding cracked brick, loose and damaged mortar, and other deficiencies.

Koenigsberg suggested Thursday that the collapse might have resulted from the failure of a first-floor column, but he deferred to the city officials probing the incident to determine the exact cause.

This could not have been anticipated, Koenigsberg said. This is not a common failure.

Engineers were beginning to demolish the collapsed section of the structure on Thursday. Fencing surrounded the block. At the base of the building, a yellow crane hummed.

Felix Vargas, the buildings superintendent, watched as officials carried out the demolition.

Thats my granddaughters jacket, he said of a pink baby jacket hanging from the door to a unit that was cleaved by the collapse. She is 2 years old.

I am not in a condition to talk right now, Vargas, 57, said as the crane neared the ripped corner of the building, and as his eyes teared up.

Twenty-six families including 79 adults and 22 children accepted temporary housing, according to New York Citys emergency management agency.

By Wednesday night, electricity was restored in some parts of the vacated building, according to the Buildings Department. Residents in the buildings south wing would be offered the opportunity to join an engineer to recover personal belongings on Thursday afternoon, the city said.

Demolition paused Thursday while residents headed into the building to recover belongings. Some shell-shocked residents had said earlier this week that they were worried about missing pets who had not made it out.

About 5 p.m., around 40 residents were waiting to get their belongings from the collapsed building.

I just want to get my passport and important documents, said Pedro Rodriguez, 66, as he held huge black plastic bags, adding that he was living with relatives nearby.

The biggest task is to now look for a new apartment, said Rodriguez, a 30-year resident of the building.

Theodore Parisienne for New York Daily News

David Maggiotto, a spokesman for the Buildings Department, said in a statement that the city would continue to provide the displaced tenants with housing assistance and would work with the landlords as they work to make the building safe for occupancy once again.

The building sits a block from a fire stationhouse, and the city said it responded to the collapse within two minutes on Monday.

The Buildings Department said it has informed the buildings owner that, after the demolition of the corner of the building, further actions must be taken to ensure the safety of the building. Ultimately, the department said, it would reassess whether residents can reoccupy sections of the building.

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Criminal investigation underway in Bronx building collapse as demolition begins - New York Daily News

Dec 14, 2023, 6:31pmUpdated 5d ago

By: News 12 Staff

Construction began Thursday at the partially collapsed Morris Heights building on 1915 Billingsley Terrace.

Residents of the building were spotted being escorted into the building to receive their belongings from their homes, and cleanup and construction efforts are underway at the partially collapsed building.

The DOB anticipates construction will take several days. Before allowing tenants back into their homes, the owner will have to ensure safety measures are put in place including heat and hot water, fixing broken locks and sealing off the damaged section of the building.

Until then, tenants have been in placed in hotels throughout the boroughs. Council Member Pierina Sanchez says elected officials are waiting to hear back from NYC Housing Preservation and Development to negotiate short-term and long-term solutions while demolition continues.

If you are one of these individuals who cannot retrieve their belongings, you can visit Bronx Community College or call 877-RED-CROSS for support.

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Demolition, construction begins at Morris Heights building days after partial collapse - News 12 Bronx

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