325 20th Street: The Tao Construction, Inc./Henry Radusky / Louis Sanchez cluster-kerfuffle, now seeing red, again.

325 20th Street Department of Buildings Property Profile Page.

There's an entire file cabinet's worth of D.o.B. issued paperwork stuck to the construction fence out in front of 325 2oth Street in Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn. The Stop Work Order might have something to do with the large cracks running up the facade of the neighboring apartment building, 321 20th St.
Behind the construction fence almost all traces of the previous excavation work have been erased, the hole has been back-filled with dirt.
There is evidence of what appears to be single poured concrete pier with its rebar sticking out along side 321's now crumbling stone foundation. Underpinning of some aberration or another, I'm guessing?




Another troubled low rise. Will Mosad pull the plug?
Our friends Henry Rudusky, R.A. and Louis Sanchez, P.E. should be given their proper credits.
Radusky and Bricolage Designs filed the building plans for 325, approved in June of 2007. Sanchez of Sanchez Associates, P.C. filed the shoring and underpinning plans also approved in June 2007. Mr. Sanchez is also affiliated with the firm Hertzberg and Sanchez. All three of these professionals are no strangers to controversial projects and have been disciplined by the Buildings Department in recent years.

"Louis Sanchez and Henry Radusky: Where have we heard these names before?"

"Proven Disciplinary Actions from the Department of Buildings."

The New York Times has one of my favorite stories about Hertzberg & Sanchez dating back to February 21st. 2000 that is a must read. Anyone interested in understanding why self certification was doomed from the start, should click on over to:

"CUTTING CORNERS: A special report.; Builders' Self-Policing Failed Before Brooklyn Floor Did" By CHRISTOPHER DREW AND JAYSON BLAIR

So when did the tears start to fall on this project? A rough time line indicates that on February 16th, 2008 a complaint was registered, #3253937, the caller stating that: "THE NEXT PROPERTY OVER HAS AN EMPTY LOT AND HAS DONE SOME DIGGING THAT HAS PUT HIS PROPERTY IN DANGER OF COLLAPSE AND HAS CAUSED SOME DAMAGE FOR THE PAST MONTH OR SO."
The D.o.B responded two days later by issuing TAO CONSTRUCTION INC a:
STOP WORK ORDER VIOLATION SERVED FOR NON-COMPLIANT AFTER HOURS WORK
Comments: DOB VIOLATION ISSUED FOR FAILURE TO CARRY PERMITTED WORK
DOB Violation #021708CNE01GA

Then one month later another complaint, #3257164 and another Stop Work Order on March 17th for: "ADJACENT BUILDINGS - NOT PROTECTED, FAILURE TO PROVIDE PROTECTION TO ADJ PROPERTY 321 20 ST. FOUNDATION WALL HAS CRACKS/BRICK FACADE HAS CRACKS"

This Full Stop Work Order was partially lifted so the contractor could make right what had gone wrong, to exclusively "COMPLETE SECTION ON UNDERPINNING ONLY."

Unfortunately, on March 24th, another complaint, #3257942, "NO APPROVED PLANS FOR UNDERPINNING, CONSTRUCTION -CONTRARY/BEYOND APPROVED PLANS/PERMITS"

Inspectors were not pleased with what they found.
"FULL STOP WORK ORDER SERVED"
Comments: "NO APPD PLANS FOR UNDERPINNING WITH DETAILS FOR ADJ BLDG FOUNDATION AND FOR COLUMN FOOTING SWO EXCAVATION UNIT"
DOB Violation #031808CEX01NDC

Then, what may be the final nail in their coffin, the dreaded "BOROUGH COMMISSIONER HAS ISSUED A 10-DAY LETTER OF INTENT TO REVOKE APPLICATION NUMBER 302331616 ON 03/27/08. ISSUE DOB STOP ORDER & NOTE THE PERCENTAGE OF WORK COMPLETED."

On February 14th, 2008 another set of plans was filed and approved for:
PROPOSED UNDERPINNING AND SHORING IN CONJUNCTION WITH NEW BUILDING APPLICATION No.302331616 AND FENCE JOB APPLICATION No. 310057906. The engineer, Jamal Muzaffar P.E. is self- certifying his work. Was he brought in to finish the job? For those who keep track of this sort of thing, Louis Sanchez is no longer allowed to file engineering plans in NYC. I imagine the new engineer will have his hands full seeing to it that his plans are correctly followed by the foundation contractors.




























































One warning to property owners who have buildings damaged by neighboring construction work... Make sure that when you invite DoB inspectors inside your property to view the damage, there isn't an illegally converted cellar apartment, as the owner of 321 20th Street found out. You may be served a little "salt in the wounds" Vacate Order.

It cost $50 for a D.O.T. Permit to legally place a container on a Brooklyn street for 90 days.

Street Obstruction

"It is illegal for anyone to place or leave any box, barrel, or other movable property (regardless of ownership) upon any public street or public place. This law applies to construction or demolition containers, which may only be placed on the street with a permit from the Department of Transportation."









The Office of Permit Management of the Bureau of Permit Management and Construction Control receives all permit applications and ensures that the necessary documents are included so they may begin the review process. The Office reviews applications, issues construction permits and applies appropriate fees. Permits are then issued to all utilities, plumbers, contractors, homeowners and other governmental agencies'; contractors, enabling them to work on the City's streets, which includes roadways, curbs, and sidewalks.

Learn the Status of Street and Sidewalk Construction Permits

Now you can learn the status of street and sidewalk construction permits throughout New York City. Use this application to find permits currently issued for street construction.

Just fill in the Borough... Brooklyn in our case, and fill in the Community Board... CB#7, and the Street... Let's say 16th Street, and click the "Search Permits" button at the bottom of the page. If you know the permit number or the contractor you can fill that in as well.























Presto!
In our particular search of 16th Street, 8 permits came up. You know what, I don't see any DOT permits for 224 16th Street or MMG Contracting showing up on the search page. I do however, see that China Perfect, who is doing alteration work up the block, did spend the extra $50 to take out a DOT permit for their container to be placed on the street. MMG what's up?

390 14th Street breaks... ground.

BK Developers Inc. /390 SIM Development LLC/ Mark Zeldin

Another infill development is under way on 14th Street just below the brand spanking new Park Slope Armory Sports Facility in Brooklyn's far South Slope. The proposed 47' tall, 4 story+cellar+attic masonry building will have 6 dwelling units contained within 7,000sq.ft. This is a R6B zoned, 25' wide lot between 7th and 8th Avenues.






































That's it.
The off-white house with the 2nd floor deck, and large tree was recently demolished by MMG Contracting, Inc. The tree was also removed in the process.
Here are two "before" photos taken of the now demolished unattached wood frame home in all its glory. You can see that the back yard of 390 14th runs perpendicular and behind several 7th Avenue properties. These unattached frame houses sitting on 25' lots are very attractive to developers looking to build luxury condominiums. When it comes time to clear the way MMG Contracting is the "go to gal" for the Zeldin Empire.
























Complaints?
Excavation, of some sort, has begun. There are already a few complaints from the neighbors who find the contractors a little careless. Inspectors from The Department of Buildings are having a difficult time gaining access to the construction site to witness the damages first hand. Maybe the DoB's Forensic Unit will have an easier time at it later on down the road.
The red brick building in the background? That's 359 15th Street of course, in its more concentrated form.

Just for the hell of it... Not that it matters... $7,500... Two defaulted E.C.B. violations from our old friends at MMG Contracting.

IMBY.BLOGSPOT.COM is 2 years old today!

Build your Dream Home at....534 17th Street!

Listed at: $695,000.




Park Slope?

Build your Dream Home at....
534 17th Street Brooklyn New York 11215

Located between Bucolic Prospect Park West and 10th Avenue.

General Information
Block : 877 Lot : 25
Lot Size : 20 x 100.17
Building Size : 20 x 30
Zoning : R5B
FAR as built : .58 Allowable FAR : 1.35

You can build an additional 1540sf or.....You can build a 2700sf home...Not including the basement... WHAT EVER YOU DO, FOR GOD'S SAKE, DON'T GO IN THE BASEMENT!!!!
Offered at $695,000.

Curb Appeal: Field of Dreams Home

Some photos of the front yard when Boo Radley still lived in the house. Just think, all of this green fits neatly into those plastic bags left behind in the front yard in the realtor's photo above.


























Related Posts on IMBY:
"Absent Mindfulness Tuesday"

300 20th Street progress report.

Then... Stop work order issued to 300 20th St. on October 30th,2007


































Now... Two stories of the planned four.




Two time ECB award recipient... Mr. Sandor Weiss!

Description of Violation:
SEC-157 FOUNDATION PLANS ARE NOT ADEQUATE IN THAT THE PLANS ARE NOT COMPLETE OR OF SUFFICIENT CLARITY TO INDICATE THE ENTIRE NATURE & EXTENT
OF PROPOSED FOUNDATION WORK.DRAWING S-1(DATED 11/8/06 SECTION 2-2 SHOW


Description of Violation:
SEC-132 FAILURE TO CARRY OUT CONTROLLED INSPECTIONS. RESPONSIBILITIES IN APPROPRIATE MANNER TO ENSURE WORK WAS PROCEEDING SAFELY,PROPERLY & IN ACCORDANCE W/APPROVED APPL.NB JOB #302231270 (PLANS,NOTES,SPECS)UNDERPINNING.

Link to previous post:

Unbuilding the South Slope: 359 15th Street get's a DoB "Beat Down".

289 13th Street progress report.

When we last visited 289 13th Street there was a Stop Work Order posted out front on the construction fence. This is how the excavation site looked back then.




































This is how it looks today. Not much has changed over the past 4 months.

UNLUCKY 289 13th St.

Description of Violation:
FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY SUPPORT ADJOINING GROUNDS AND STRUCTURES AFFECTED BY EXCAVATION. NOTED: AT TIME OF INSPECTION AN EXCAVATION SITE WITH
A SHEER CUT OF APPROX. 7' TO 6' DEEP AND NO PROTECTION PROVIDED (NEO)M




Re: BOROUGH COMMISSIONER HAS ISSUED A 10-DAY LETTER OF INTENT.TO REVOKE APPLICATION 302359301 ON 11/09/07 ISSUE DOB STOP ORDER AND NOTE THE PERCENTAGE OF WORK COMPLETED SO FAR ON VIOLATION AND COMPLAINT

Razing 224 Sixteenth Street

Workers from MMG Construction, Inc. dismantle 224 16th Street by hand, the previous long time home of Ganmar Electronics. Looks like this site will be assimilated into the neighboring development project located at 226-230 16th Street.



























Walk the plank.

Debris is carried across planks to the sidewalk bridge and then tossed down into the dumpster out front in the street. Found the sidewalk blocked off to pedestrians this past Thursday afternoon.
Read this previous post below concerning this new development.

"Zeldin Empire tightens its grip over South Slope."

Sunset Park High School continues it's transformation from renderings to reality.

The iron work is done. The masons have begun setting concrete brick. The HVAC systems duct work and mechanicals are now going in as well.
These illustrations below were lifted from the Architects portfolio page... RMJM Hillier. You can check out examples of their work by clicking here.



























This view is from Forth Avenue looking West towards the Gowanus Expressway and beyond that, the water and the rest of the United States.




































This view looking east as seen from Third Avenue under the Gowanus/BQE.


For past IMBY postings on the topic you can visit.

Sunset Park High School November 2009?

Sunset Park High School vs.* Central Los Angeles High School #9

Architectural Voyeurism No. 10

Overcast 5th Avenue Bulkhead

Architectural Voyeurism No. 9

South Slope Silo

Architectural Voyeurism No. 8

Fifth Avenue black mountain bonsai mushrooms

Architectural Voyeurism No. 7

P.S. 107's New Play Surfaces

Architectural Voyeurism No. 6

Plaza Concrete Pumper Boom

Proven Disciplinary Actions from the Department of Buildings

Ms. Lancaster, Do you get frustrated trying to manage the "terrible two's"... Licensed and registered NYC professional architects and engineers? Thinking about pulling the self certification plug on everyone just to make your point? Wish there was a better way? Well now there is!

You can now consistently manage and control insubordinate behavior at home, on the job, or even on the go with "Time Out Spot". These 27-inch round all-weather rugs can be conveniently located (and relocated) as necessary and the non-skid rubber backing keeps your rascally professional RA or PE from scooting it to a better location... Like on to the next job site!
"But IMBY, you ask, How does it work?"





















Click on photos to engorge.


IAD DISCIPLINARY GUIDELINES
When using Time-Out Spot® and the "Time-Out" method:
It's important to first explain to your naughty little RA/PE how "Time-Out" works.

Discuss acceptable and unacceptable professional behavior with your RA/PE.

Use Time Out Spot® immediately following unacceptable behavior.

Try and remain calm, cool and collected.

Be consistent with the little dickens.

Unruly buildings professionals should be given "Time-Out" equal in time to their age. (Example 57 months for a 57 year old.)

Afterwards, discuss acceptable behavior that should have been used.

These time tested techniques can also be used on mischievous foundation/excavation/underpinning contractors. Order on-line today!


The Armory Plaza Play Group
2002 Voluntary Surrender of Privileges

Hertzbag, Abraham PE #29007 Surrendered all limited supervisory check privileges (D-14 and Self-Cert)

Rudusky, Henry RA# 015029 Surrendered Self-Cert privileges


2008 Disciplinary Actions from the Department of Buildings

Louis Sanchez, P.E. #046307
Hertzberg & Sanchez/P.C. Surrendered ability to make any filing.

Abraham Hertzberg P.E. #029007
Hertzberg & Sanchez/P.C. Surrendered ability to make any filing.

Louis Sanchez and Henry Radusky: Where have we heard these names before?

Photo: Jonathan Fickies for The New York Times


That's the question that NYC Buildings Commissioner Patricia J. Lancaster should be asking herself. Why is it that the same names always seem to keep popping up when ever some catastrophic building related accident happens in Brooklyn? Why hasn't anyone pulled the plug on these guys yet? Where is the accountability?

I know Ms. Lancaster that you are most likely busy on the phone right now with those over worked folks at the FORENSIC ENGINEERING UNIT trying to get to the bottom of things. Thanks for coming out to Brooklyn the other day. It's always important to be seen as proactive. Can't have this sort of thing, (construction workers being buried alive) happening on a reoccurring basis. My patient neighbors might begin to lose confidence in the Department's ability to protect them from less than professional "Professionals".

Implementation of the Special Enforcement Plan?

From DoB press release...

“Our Special Enforcement Plan is designed to disrupt the business models of those who intentionally or carelessly put the public and workers at risk by defying the Building Code or Zoning Resolution. We've formed three new enforcement units and empowered them to take action on critical construction issues affecting New Yorkers: repeat offenders; unsafe excavation work; and abuses of the professional certification privilege,” said Commissioner Lancaster. “While our work has just begun, this is a substantial step toward reaching our ultimate goal of ensuring safe and compliant development by making it cost effective to play by the rules."

Business model, what business model? The owner, Mr. William Lattarulo, has eight hazardous E.C.B. violations currently open on his property, some dating back to 5/18/2005. Records show two open ECB violations for work with out permits are also in default, their substantial fines remain unpaid. Of course not paying your ECB violations doesn't necessarily make you dangerous. No one pays these fines that I know of, but excavating while underpinning the foundation of an occupied apartment building in a "shoddy" (according to Lancaster), unprofessional manner with expired permits does, in my humble opinion.

While I can find no permits, currently issued for the address "759 Glenmore Avenue" on the DoB building information web site. There are permits for "751 Glenmore Avenue" the construction site next door where yesterdays Stop Work Order was issued. Greenleaf Construction Inc. is the contractor doing the excavation work for the new commercial building. There is now a violation for "Failure to safe guard the public and property" on the books.

I imagine if we had known Mr. Louro Ortega before the "cave in" took his life, we would have tried to warn him of the potential danger. We would have advised him to find another job where safety matters. Maybe we would have convinced him that what he was getting into was beyond trouble and steered him clear of harms way. But we didn't, and now he's dead.

Having your bell rung.

Most South Slopers are more than familiar by now at least with the Brooklyn architect Henry Radusky of Bricolage Designs, Inc. He even has his own Wikipedia page! That's his job 791 Glenmore Avenue in East New York Brooklyn, the site of yesterdays fatal accident, but do you know his associate Mr. Sanchez, License #046307? I do. By name anyway.

I have never met him, but I've seen his handiwork.
That's why seeing his name in print while reading the Daily News story was like a bullet to the brain. I'm no news paper reporter or journalist by any stretch of the imagination. I'm just a average Joe who happens to have ring side seats to what's turning out to be one hell of an interesting fight. Of coarse I'm talking about, what else, but 406 15th Street in Brooklyn, aka The Armory Plaza. The poster child for... everything.













"Imminently perilous to life"

Mr. Louis Sanchez, of Sanchez Associates/PC 295 Northern Boulevard, Great Neck, NY is the engineer of record who not only filed the structural plans for the disastrous Glenmore Avenue job, he has also worked on and supervised the structural/foundation designs for The Armory Plaza.
The infamous Armory Plaza?... 406 15th Street in Brooklyn?... Come on, surely you of all people, Ms. Lancaster, are one of my loyal 34 "hits" per day. Have you stopped reading my blog? Does anyone remember what happened at 1504 Eighth Avenue on July 25th, 2006? That's the day eight families were ordered to vacate their apartments at a moments notice after huge cracks formed through out their brick walls and the building began to sink. Sounds familiar.

"Engaging in acts of gross incompetence or gross negligence on a single occasion, or for some, negligence or incompetence on more than one occasion" can get you in trouble with New York State Education Office of Professional Licensing. They discipline engineers and architects by suspending their licenses and/or imposing fines. The future doesn't look so brite for Mr. Sanchez any more. The loss of his license may be the least of his worries.

According to the DAILY NEWS story writers MATTHEW LYSIAK and TINA MOORE,

Lancaster said her office was talking to Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes about criminal charges for both Lattarulo and the project's engineer, Louis Sanchez of Sanchez Associates PC.

A spokesman for Hynes said the two men could face a "wide range" of criminal charges, including reckless endangerment.

Sanchez had lost his privilege to perform engineering jobs in the city a week earlier because of "questionable practices," Lancaster said.

The department penalized him after a new special enforcement team found he was allowing his business partner to use Sanchez's professional stamp to submit applications. His partner surrendered his privileges in 2002.

"The excavation team is tracking excavation sites across the city and holding engineers and contractors to a higher standard than ever before," Lancaster said.

406 15th St. foundation plans-Is this just an informal suggestion or a legal requirement?
STAGE 1. 1.) "MONITOR THE MOVEMENT OF ADJACENT BUILDINGS AND CRACK WIDTHS"


There are still many engineering questions to be answered yet. I wonder what future role Sanchez Associates, if any, will have in the completion of the Armory Plaza. The next few months should be enlightening to say the least.

Architectural Voyeurism No. 5

16th Street Development

Architectural Voyeurism No. 4

Fourth Avenue mechanicals.

Architectural Voyeurism No. 3

Park Slope, Brooklyn roof top.

Remember The Globe! Theater on 15th Street?

South Sloped: Old and Older
So what's new and what's old? We continue our changing face of Fifteenth Street downhill slide today by looking at 226 15th Street. There's nothing but dirt behind that construction fence now but soon Canadian starchitect Hot Karl Fischer hey, will work his magic, and we will have a new R6B compliant, 4 story (48' tall), 22 unit residential building with 11 off street parking spots in like no time at all.


















I want to thank "Kencta" for this photo of 226 15th Street taken sometime before its demolition in the fall of 2007. Must have passed this building hundreds of times without ever knowing it was the former home to the 900 seat Globe Theater movie house. I always thought the building reminded me of the Alamo especially after they stuccoed it brown. Never saw anyone coming or going, but in 2002 the owner applied to have the building changed to use as a single family home with art studio.
The Globe was designed by Edward Kleinert, the same architect who worked on the old Sander's Theater, now reborn as the Pavilion Theater at 188 Prospect Park West and 14th Street.
History recalls that the desperate struggle continued until the defenders were finally overwhelmed by Santa Anna's army and the Globe eventually closed in 1955-56.

If you want to go on a kind of "spot the cinema" scavenger hunt, this gentleman has photographed dozens of closed/demolished/reincarnated Brooklyn theaters in their present state of being, whether that's currently a grocery store, church, or basketball arena.

KENCTA'S FLICKR.COM BROOKLYN THEATERS PHOTO SET
















The Globe 1956?: Photo Frank Guerrasio.

Cinematreasures.org

The Minerva























IMBY'S Believe it or not, 419 Seventh Avenue (the corner of 14th Street) was once home to a local plumbing contractor and way before that, the Minerva Theater. Here are some current photos of the creative/adaptive reuse of the one time theater building into a residential apartment building.

According to Cinematreasures.org

"Located in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn on Seventh Avenue on the northeast corner of 14th Street. It opened in 1912 as the Palace Theatre and had a seating capacity given in 1926 and 1927 as 450. By 1930 it had been re-named Armory Theatre (after the nearby Park Slope Armory building which is located close-by) and the seating capacity was given as 428.

By 1941 it had been re-named the Minerva Theatre and had a seating capacity of 398, but it was listed as closed in that year, so it possibly closed in 1940."