Following a building collapse in the Bronx, New York City’s Department of Buildings has suspended a demolition contractor and paused construction at all sites associated with him. Investigations into Yakov Eisenbach of Hexagon Industries Inc. have raised concerns that Stop Work Orders were not adhered to at several city job sites, and his construction permits may be revoked, as reported by Gothamist.
The partial collapse occurred at 57 East Burnside Ave. on January 12, despite a Full Stop Work Order being in place. A wall under demolition fell onto scaffolding and the street, causing no injuries. Reports indicate this is the seventh documented instance of Eisenbach violating a Stop Work Order. DOB Commissioner Ahmed Tigani, in a statement obtained by Gothamist, said that Eisenbach’s repeated violations and continuation of unsafe work practices required decisive action by the Department. The investigation also found that Eisenbach conducted demolition work out of sequence and used an excavator in a manner not permitted at the Bronx site.
Additional incidents involving Eisenbach include unauthorized demolition at several locations across the city. One notable case occurred on January 7 at 30-01 Northern Blvd. in Queens, where an excavator was used without DOB approval, according to Bronx News 12. Other violations cited by the Department of Buildings include demolition work at 89-01 165th St. in Queens conducted without permits, and at 1672 86th St. in Brooklyn, where unsafe practices led to the evacuation of neighboring buildings…