A house jutting out into the East River suffered a partial collapse.
The FDNY was summoned at 2:26 p.m. on Sunday, July 21 to 2706 Schurz Avenue where they responded to the collapse of a house that was built on pilings and sat mostly above the water.
According to published reports, neighbors said that a least 20 cats were also removed from the property.
They had called attention to the condition of the pilings for some time.
Since the property went into foreclosure several years ago there has been a host of transients occupying the property.
The NYC Department of Buildings, issued a full vacate order on the property after the FDNY requested inspection of the house, according to reports.
“Pilings in the rear of the house were compromised, so gas and electric were shut down, and it was turned over to (DOB),” said a FDNY spokesman, adding that there were no injuries reported and no one was transported for medical care.
At the nearby Redwood Club, which had an unobstructed view of the collapsing structure, several club members who are FDNY personnel received reports of the nearby collapse, said Frank Kreidemaker, who was at the club on June 21.
“We went out and looked at it and we could tell it was not the way that it was,” said Kreidemaker, adding that only a small portion of the house, the part near the entrance (closest to the street) appears to not be on pilings.
“The pilings must have broken or something,” added Kreidemaker, “You can see the house just looks like it buckled in the middle.”
According to DOB records, emergency work has been ordered as pilings have suffered extreme structural compromise and have partially collapsed.
The same complaint, issued on Monday, July 22, stated the rear of the building dropped and the front is leaning towards the center, with risk of further collapse.
