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329 MacDonough was heavily covered here after a wall collapse, vacate order, and the possibility of demolition. #329 and #331, both historical landmarks, were ultimately saved, with the building inspector calling it “one of the most complicated engineering plans I’ve worked on. We haven’t written about the site since April of last year, and when we stopped recently by we found the shoring and sidewalk shed gone. The debris left out front suggests that #329 still isn’t in tip-top shape and the full vacate order is still in place. #331 still has a partial vacate order as well.
329 MacDonough’s Long Road to Salvation [Brownstoner]
After Fight, a Brooklyn Brownstone’s Costly Rescue [NY Times]
Learning from the MacDonough Street Crisis [Brownstoner]
MacDonough St. Houses Report [Brownstoner]
Update on MacDonough Street [Brownstoner]
Salvation on MacDonough Street? [Brownstoner]
Stay of Execution on MacDonough Street [Brownstoner]
MacDonough Street Update 1/25/10 [Brownstoner]
Wall Collapse, Vacate Order, Maybe Demo on MacDonough [Brownstoner]


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  1. Yes, Montrose sums it up perfectly. Meanwhile, the city demolished the brownstone in Bed Stuy next to the “free store” fire in the blink of an eye without any hearing or anything — even crunched up the bicycles in the yard for good measure. Did Brownstoner cover this and I missed it?

  2. Someone should make a movie out of this – quite the tale. I really hope the city lets them back it. It must be a particular hardship for the older woman in the house next door- the whole thing wasn’t even her fault.

  3. Imagine the mess if two or three of those houses had been demolished. It was definitely a good call to save them but I am upset that the city is not letting people back in yet. What gives?
    What are people hearing in the neighborhood?

  4. I hope people can move back into their homes soon. It’s been a long, long time. All in all, though, it was an important moment in neighborhood preservation, and a very expensive lesson in the importance of hiring building professionals and getting permits.