Monday, April 23, 2007

All the kings horses-The reconstruction of 396 15th Street.

Before we pull the plug on the cracked up 1504 8th Avenue just yet, we should first take a look down the block. Witness the current efforts at resuscitating the seemingly mortally wounded, 396 15th Street. Its front and side facades severly injured during the early excavation work on the planned foundation for the neighboring 400 15th Street Condo project, 396 is in the process of removing and replacing 125 feet of its two story side wall. To anyone passing by, it may look like just another South Slope demolition in process. Everything from below the ground up has so far been removed.
Criss crossing X bracing has been welded to the existing joists in order to hold up the roof and second story floor while the side wall is replaced.

The incentive to repair 396 may come from the owners ongoing lawsuit which I am guessing prevents the developer from proceeding any further until all corrections have been made and damages repaired. For you budding engineers out there, this section of 15th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues in Brooklyn, is a cautionary lesson on everything that can go pathetically wrong when digging near existing buildings.
















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