Demolition next to collapsed building continued despite stop work order, violation says

Before the deadly collapse of a Flatbush apartment building, owners of the property next door continued demolishing a 1-story building despite an order to stop, according to a violation issued by the NYC Department of Buildings.

The summons, dated April 23, 2026, says workers at 2625 Bedford Avenue continued demolishing the structure, even though city inspectors ordered a halt to the work one month prior.

“During re-inspection, current pictures were compared to the previous pictures taken on 3/20/26, which at that time, there was a 1-story building remaining on site,” the inspector wrote. “The current conditions of the site shows the entire building was demolished. Respondents failed to comply with the Stop Work Order.”

It is not clear whether demolition of the prior building or excavation at the construction site after demolition contributed to the collapse of 1321 Flatbush Avenue, the building that toppled on Wednesday, killing at least eight people.

According to city officials, excavation was taking place Wednesday at some point prior to the collapse.

The violation from April lists “N Tech Design of America” as the demolition company penalized for the improper work. According to city records, a $10,000 fine was paid and the violation was resolved.

Reps for N Tech Design of America did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to city records, 2625 is owned by a limited liability company with Robert Fischman listed as a principal. Messages for Fischman and his associates were not immediately returned.

After the violation was cleared up, workers on the property began digging to build a foundation for the building that would replace the old structure.

Before construction workers began excavating, private inspectors hired by the construction site developer found “major deficiencies” along the north wall of 1321 Flatbush Avenue. According to a pre-construction inspection report, the north exterior of the building was “in poor condition with noticeable cracks identified on the surface of the façade.”

It’s not clear if those exterior cracks belied any structural problems with the building. Authors of the inspection report said their photographic survey was intended to “document current conditions of the structure and its surroundings to establish a baseline for monitoring potential impacts from nearby construction activities.”

Neither the authors of the pre-construction inspection report nor the owners of the collapsed building responded immediately to the I-Team’s request for comment.