In the hours after a five-story garage collapsed in lower Manhattan, killing one worker and injuring five others, there are more questions than answers as to how the shocking tragedy could have occurred.
NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at a press conference soon after Tuesday's structural collapse at the garage on Ann Street near Nassau Street that it appeared to be a tragic accident and no criminality was suspected.
So what does that mean for possible causes? While it is still far too early for inspectors or the fire department to determine a cause — people were still not allowed into the building late Tuesday night, due to how extremely unstable it was said to be — one place to look for possible indications would be the building's history regarding violations.
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The commissioner for the city's Department of Buildings said at the scene shortly after the collapse that the structure was five stories tall — including the cellar and four stories above ground — and was used throughout as a parking garage.
According to the DOB, the building had active permits related to electrical work on the premise, though no recent active violations. The building obtained its certificate of occupancy in 1957, a certification that allowed for five or more cars to be on each floor — though footage from Tuesday's collapse showed well over five cars on each floor, with dozens seen in the collapsed rubble.
A look into the building violations associated with the garage shows that most have been addressed over the decades, and the few that were still listed as open were quite old. However, those violations do give a sense of what deterioration took place over the years inside the building that dates back to 1925, especially as it relates to the condition of the concrete used.
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The most recent open violation, according to the city's building information system, shows a problem with improper exit doors in 2013. Inspectors in 2009 noted broken stairs and loose concrete in various locations.
Nearly 20 years ago, in 2003, DOB inspectors found more concrete defects in the stairs as well as a hazardous condition with cracks in the first floor ceiling, spalling concrete, missing concrete coverings on steel beams and defective concrete with exposed cracks, according to the city's online records. While the problems were nearly two decades old, records did not state whether they had not been addressed prior to the collapse.
The DOB commissioner said at the scene there was also an application for work on the building in 2010 for the automobile lift. He did not state why the open violations might have gone unaddressed if the permitted work went through, and the DOB is looking into the matter.
The Buildings Department inspected surrounding buildings as well to ensure they were structurally sound following the collapse. A photo from inside a neighboring building showed a hole that was punched in an adjoining wall right next to the garage, peering into the mess of cars, concrete and dust.
The collapse prompted nearby Pace University to cancel classes, according to a tweet, and the school evacuated a residential building on Beekman Street as well as an academic building on William Street. The DOB later in the evening cleared students to return to the dorm on Beekman.
Streets near the scene of the collapse were closed off as first responders continued surveilling the area. DOB personnel will continue the investigation into the cause of the collapse. The FDNY said that due to the extreme instability of the building, it is expected the investigation will be a prolonged operation.
