An East Broadway construction project that’s been stalled by regulatory problems caused a more serious kind of problem for a pedestrian this morning.
Around 8:30 a.m., a woman was hit in the head with wood falling from the scaffolding at 183 E. Broadway, near Jefferson Street.
The sidewalk was closed for a while today while the contractor made repairs to ensure it’s safe, said Susan Stetzer, the district manager for Community Board 3. A few sections of the parapet wall were blown off of the sidewalk shed, which is what struck the pedestrian on the head, Stetzer said. She was conscious and taken to Beekman Hospital. Violations have been issued for failing to safeguard persons and property, Stetzer said. The Department of Buildings website shows a new complaint at that address as of this morning, which details an FDNY charge that debris fell from the scaffolding, causing pedestrian injuries.
As we’ve reported over the last two years, the residential building that owner Wai Sun Realty has been trying to develop there has been plagued with various issues related to zoning and permitting. This morning’s filing is only one of 25 DOB complaints and 35 violations at that address.
The Department of Buildings issued a stop work order in the spring of 2009, ruling that the proposed project violated height limits and the city’s so-called “sliver law,” which sets restrictions for buildings that extend all the way through the block. The lot at 183 E. Broadway faces both East Broadway and Henry Street.
In September, the Wong family who owns the building appeared before Community Board 3 to plead for a variance that would allow the project to go forward. CB3 later voiced support for that request, calling the current situation “an eyesore and a blight on the community due to its non-completion.”
Most recently, owner Norman Wong filed a request to have the stop work order rescinded in April of this year, according to DOB records.
