Falling Plywood Injures Pedestrians at Controversial East Broadway Work Site
Photo: Daisy Paez
Since groundbreak last June, the construction site for modular housing at 201 East Broadway has been rather controversial. First, residents in the adjacent building felt the building vibrate during excavation and worried about destabilization. (The city subsequently determined all was okay.) Then, a few months later, the sidewalk out front collapsed.
Last Friday, however, it was the plywood fence that injured pedestrians. Readers tell us that wind gusts toppled the barrier, which fell on the unsuspecting passersby.
Photo: Daisy Paez
These enclosed photos by Lower East Side District Leader Daisy Paez illustrate the extent of the incident – one woman was hurt, and purportedly carted to the hospital by ambulance.
It is here at 201-203 East Broadway that local developer Daniel Wise – who purchased the double-wide properties in 2015 for $8.5 million – is erecting the area’s first modular apartment complex. Plans call for seven stories stacked with ten apartments. Each pre-fab condo unit will carry approximately 1,487 square-feet, some with private terraces.
Wise is concurrently developing other area housing projects at 193 Henry Street and 330 Grand Street.
The former property owner of 201-203 East Broadway was the United Hebrew Community, a nonprofit Jewish organization founded in 1901. It purchased the the twin tenements shortly after organizing, and occupied 15,000 square-feet of space. Both were constructed in 1837 and subsequently modifed in 1900.
Meanwhile, there appears to be a partial stop-work order in place from last week, according to Department of Buildings.
Who is approving these construction sites to ensure pedestrian walkways are safe during high winds like today? These men are holding a panel that just fell on a woman. #LowerEastSide #constructionmanagement pic.twitter.com/gdya9tPHLS
— Daisy Paez (@DaisyPaezLES) February 3, 2018
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