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February 6, 2009

New Construction on Franklin Avenue Holding Up Well

From a reader...

I lived in a neighborhood with a bunch of terrible landlords, on Franklin Avenue at Willoughby, that never did any work on our building and built crappy buildings all around us these past few years. That’s why we wound up moving. The rest of the tenants in the building have remained, however, and I still hang out there a lot. Last Sunday we were sitting on the stoop when we saw this, located next door to our old building. I’ve been thinking about it every day since, so I had my friend send me some pics. This can’t be safe can it? It’s gonna fall over onto my friend's building. And this building is maybe five years old. Maybe.

Surprise, surprise. GMAP

Here's a photo of the building next door that shows the setback.

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Comments

No surprise at all. Hopefully they'll have to be torn down in 5-10 years.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 6, 2009 10:35 AM

The detail picture is obviously not from the same building. At least it is not the part circled in red.

Posted by: SnarkSlope at February 6, 2009 10:37 AM

It is the same building--it's just a different tint because the photo at left is from Property Shark and the one at right is the one sent in by the tipster...

Posted by: brownstoner at February 6, 2009 10:39 AM

As long as its hi-density, thtas the main thing.

Posted by: dittoburg at February 6, 2009 10:40 AM

Or is the crack on the side of the building, in the red zone, but not visible?

Posted by: SnarkSlope at February 6, 2009 10:41 AM

The same will be found for poorly constructed condo projects that have gone up quickly over the past few years. We've already seen some with roof and boiler issues. Crap is crap is crap.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 6, 2009 10:42 AM

Inconclusive evidence.

Posted by: East New York at February 6, 2009 10:43 AM

beyond a reasonable doubt?

Posted by: dittoburg at February 6, 2009 10:44 AM

ENY...what more evidence is necessary that it's shoddy construction????

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 6, 2009 10:45 AM

Horror Show Friday under a new guise!

Posted by: bayridgegirl at February 6, 2009 10:45 AM

Photo on the left is a left corner.....photo on the right is a right corner...

Posted by: JohnHancock at February 6, 2009 10:46 AM

I'm not saying it's not shoddy, Dave - it most certainly is. I'm saying that from these two photos, it is not clear that circled area on the building at the left is the area depicted in the photo on the right.

Posted by: East New York at February 6, 2009 10:48 AM

case closed

Posted by: dittoburg at February 6, 2009 10:48 AM

Come on people...look at the photo...it's a photo of the left side of the building...you can see it faces down the stairs in the front of the building.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 6, 2009 10:50 AM

Mr. B. Check your photos...it doesn't make sense.
photo on left looks like the buildings abutt. Photo on right, building is a corner condition with a space between building and a concrete incline with a fence.
Something ain't jiving.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at February 6, 2009 10:50 AM

> Horror Show Friday under a new guise!

Bingo, BRG, bingo.

Posted by: SnarkSlope at February 6, 2009 10:51 AM

It's not going to fall over, but it's not making the case that these hastily constructed wonders will last all that long either. These "bricks" are more decorative than structural, as they are only a one layer veneer over cinderblock.

I'd look at the whole picture - the rust stains over the door, and what looks like soot by the vent, but is more likely black paint, neither explanation excusing some shoddy maintainance. The conditions on the interiors would really tell the tale. If it's still there in 20 years, the whole building will need an overhaul, inside and out.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at February 6, 2009 10:52 AM

Safety-wise, and fine-wise, this certainly seems appropriate for 311's and DOB's attention. How about letting them debate what's conclusive and which building is on its way to ruins? Unfortunately, a parallel problem will be the displacement of tenants and/or owners as these buildings start crumbling.

Posted by: vinca at February 6, 2009 10:53 AM

It just needs some TLC-4.

Posted by: SnarkSlope at February 6, 2009 10:54 AM

The red brick building is set back. Check out the one we just added on the jump.

Posted by: brownstoner at February 6, 2009 10:57 AM

"Safety-wise, and fine-wise, this certainly seems appropriate for 311's and DOB's attention."

That's a good point. Did the "reader" also phone 311 and notify DOB, or did he/she just take a photo, write a note, and send them straight to Brownstoner? Hmmm....

Posted by: East New York at February 6, 2009 10:57 AM

Actually, if a chunk of bricks fall out they can shove a Fedders unit in to seal it up.

Posted by: Biff Champion at February 6, 2009 11:10 AM

Thanks Mr. B. I retract my initial snark.

Posted by: SnarkSlope at February 6, 2009 11:10 AM

Perhaps we can draw straws as to who call call 3-1-1 on this mess? I could be a new section for Mr. B each day "Name That Violation."

Perfect case of faulty install of the curtain wall of brick over the block (I assume block), water getting in via the downspout, a nice cold winter, that 2 weeks ago and whamo, loose bricks.

Betcha this happened this year.

I agree with the above statements, this baby will need taking down in 5 years, if not before...unlike it's 100 year old neighbor to the left.

This will be "the norm" as all the shoddy new construction begins to age.

Welcome to the deconstruction of Brooklyn after the boom of construction.

And do you know what the sad thing is, if this building (or any like it) were taken down in 5 years, another sh*t box will go up in it's place. Some much from learning from the mistakes of developers past...

Posted by: Action Jackson at February 6, 2009 11:10 AM

Oooh, thanks Mr. B. My brain is a little fried today.
Regardless, it's a deplorable.

Where’s the DOB to enforce the strict guidelines. They make architects adhere to them on paper, they should do the same to developers / builders in the field.

Last year hubby was asked to evaluate and write a report on a newly build (not yet lived in) 2-family fedder style home in Queens. The developer was being sued. The workmanship was the worst he’d seen and the interior was being taken over by mold. He showed me the photos and I couldn’t stomach looking at all the mold.

Crime!!

Posted by: bayridgegirl at February 6, 2009 11:11 AM

I think you've all missed the important points:

- You're all snobs
- Not everyone likes brownstones
- High density!!
- Fedders buildings are objects de'art
- Clearly this was a decorative detail for added appeal

and most importantly lest we forget...

- constructions costs are so prohibitive that private developers without government subsidies can't afford to build better.

Posted by: TownhouseLady at February 6, 2009 11:13 AM

That was funny, Snarkslope.

Posted by: 1842 at February 6, 2009 11:21 AM

Ok, what is everyone else seeing that I'm not: the blown up image does not corespond to the image on the left. Yes, the building on the left is set back, but doesn't the enlarged image depict the other side?

Posted by: heck_of_a_job_brownie at February 6, 2009 11:29 AM

Ok, I just got it. Duh.

Posted by: heck_of_a_job_brownie at February 6, 2009 11:31 AM

"Ok, what is everyone else seeing that I'm not"

Frankly, I don't see it, either. Maybe it's just me (and you, heckuva).

Posted by: East New York at February 6, 2009 11:32 AM

LOL THL (my favorite new acronyms).

Posted by: mopar at February 6, 2009 11:34 AM

East:

The enlarged photo was taken from the front yard of the neighboring building - it's at a 90-degree angle relative to the image on the left. Hope that helps.

Posted by: heck_of_a_job_brownie at February 6, 2009 11:42 AM

I get it now. That did help.

Posted by: East New York at February 6, 2009 11:45 AM

The photo showing damage is the left side of the building (around the corner from the downspout. Code wise I thought downspouts were required to be connnected to sewers. That one looks like it ends in space.

Water is definitely getting behind the brick and there may be issues with masonry anchors. A call to 311 should definitely be made.

Posted by: Bessie at February 6, 2009 11:47 AM

Check out the downspout, DIBS. Another Brooklyn waterfall. Add that natural wonder to your hike. Not to mention, it's next to an interesting rock formation and crevice.

Posted by: slopefarm at February 6, 2009 11:56 AM

Call 311? Looks like a little mortar missing from decorative brick veneer. You think that poses a danger somehow? Sounds a bit overblown by folks who know next to nothing about building construction and are looking at any reason to find fault with ugly new construction.

Posted by: Petebklyn at February 6, 2009 11:58 AM

Oh my god!!!!! There is a new building where the mortar on the corner bricks was shoddy and now its going to take $2,0000 and 1/2 a day to fix - the end is near.........

Posted by: fsrg at February 6, 2009 12:12 PM

Kinda hints at the possibility of more serious shoddiness, does it not?

Posted by: SnarkSlope at February 6, 2009 12:22 PM

who'd have predicted 40 posts about a crack, with 75% confused by the pics.

owners who dont clean up their ice/snow/leaves endanger more people than this issue. let's discuss that for 200 posts.

Posted by: goldie at February 6, 2009 12:23 PM

While the weather is nice outside, I think more people would rather look at a photo of a crack and talk about it.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at February 6, 2009 12:30 PM

Or, put another way BRG, while the weather is nice outside, I think more people would rather look at a photo of a coin slot and talk about it.

Posted by: vinca at February 6, 2009 12:40 PM

It may be noting serious but it should certainly be checked out.

Last year we saw stepped mortar cracking and spalling on a large 1970's three-story, masonry structure that we lease. We found after further investigation that over 1/2 of the masonry anchors had never been installed and those that had been put in place were badly corroding due to water infiltration. We ended up rebuilding the entire wall. We are very lucky that the entire wall didn't come crashing down on some pedestrians.

When I first moved to New York an entire single-story, unsecured manry wall did fall and kill someone across from the Ingersol Houses.

Posted by: Bessie at February 6, 2009 1:16 PM

FSRQ;

Spot-on. More navel-gazing.

Yup, this photo of one building with one section of mortar cracking in a brick VENEER, to the tune of about $2000 worth of work after a harsh winter, is definitive proof that the 10's of 1000's of these homes are set to imminently fail.

Tell me when the grown-ups want to have a discussion. In the meantime, enjoy the view of the navel.

Posted by: benson at February 6, 2009 2:01 PM

benson...I bet a pub crawl of Fedders buildings would show evidence of shoddy construction in a majority of them.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 6, 2009 2:44 PM

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February 6, 2009

New Construction on Franklin Avenue Holding Up Well

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