New York City inspectors discovered violations at the construction site next to the Brooklyn building that collapsed on Wednesday — just months before the tragedy.
A stop-work order was issued in March after Department of Buildings inspectors concluded that the building on the lot in Flatbush was being demolished without adequate overhead protection such as netting and sheds to shield neighboring buildings, the department said in a statement to AP News.
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In April, inspectors found demolition work had resumed in violation of the stop work order, the department added.
Work was eventually allowed to continue in May after the problems were corrected, according to officials.
The site is owned by a limited liability company run by Robert Fischman, which was seeking to build a 56,000-square-foot mixed-use building, according to WNBC.
The development would include a grocery store on the ground floor and eight more stories of residential apartments.
At least eight people are confirmed to have died and 19 were wounded after the three-story building at 1321 Flatbush Avenue collapsed into the construction pit, where crews were excavating the empty lot at 2624 Bedford Avenue just after 4 p.m. Wednesday.
With Post wires
