New York City building inspectors issued a full stop-work order Feb. 18 at a mid-block Manhattan construction site, 14-16 Fifth Avenue, which is sandwiched by buildings on either side, after residents of nearby 10 Fifth Avenue reported debris falling from their building. The next day, after vertical cracks appeared on its facade, the city Dept. of Buildings ordered the 30 residents of the corner row building to vacate over concerns about its structural condition.
An investigation into the cause of the damage is ongoing, according to the department. Officials also ordered the building’s owners, as well as the owners of the neighboring row house, 12 Fifth Avenue, which sits between the vacated building and the construction site, to immediately hire engineers to conduct a structural assessment of the buildings.