What you should know
- The Little Italy building that once housed the oldest cheese factory in the United States will be demolished after part of its wall collapsed Wednesday afternoon.
- The partial collapse of the brick facade is due to a building at Mulberry and Grand Streets that once housed the famous cheese shop Alleva Dairy.
- According to the DOB, portions of the chimney collapse, as well as construction work carried out without permits and without approved engineering plans or DOB approval, destabilized the structure of the building on the first floor and basement.
The Little Italy building that once housed the oldest cheese factory in the United States will be demolished after part of its wall collapsed Wednesday afternoon.
The partial collapse of the brick facade is due to a building at Mulberry and Grand Streets that once housed the famous cheese shop Alleva Dairy.
Firefighters responded to the wall collapse Wednesday afternoon, which left a hole in the side of the building.
Video of the partial collapse showed a hole in the side of the building through which one could see inside. The fall of the bricks also damaged a plywood barrier around the building. Investigators say there are no reports of anyone being injured.
Days after the partial collapse, the city's building department determined that the building's condition was no longer safe.
“Following the partial collapse in Little Italy earlier this week, DOB engineers rushed to the scene and immediately began conducting detailed structural examinations of the damaged building,” the DOB said in a statement Friday. “Unfortunately, there was a chimney collapse and an illegal and trespassing accident.” Construction work inside the building has significantly destabilized the structure. Our engineers have determined that the damaged building now poses an imminent danger to the public and to prevent an uncontrolled collapse, we have instructed the property owners to begin preparations for an emergency demolition of the entire building.”
According to the DOB, portions of the chimney fall as well as construction work on the ground floor and basement, which was carried out without permits and without approved building plans or DOB approval, destabilized the building's structure.
The work, which was carried out without the approved plans or permits, included a major gut renovation which included new steel L-beams, steel connections and a steel staircase. DOB engineers determined that the work had undermined several structural steel columns in the building's basement and removed bracing necessary for the building's stability.
DOB engineers concluded it would not be safe to allow construction workers back inside because of the risk of collapse.
The building's owners plan to begin demolition work after the weekend.
In March of last year, Alleva Dairy, New York City's oldest cheese shop – believed to be the oldest in America – was forced to permanently close at this Little Italy location, the only location it had known for 130 years. after financial difficulties and legal disputes.