Tigani recounts 57 East Burnside Avenue collapse enforcement
Tigani describes a January 2026 uncontrolled wall collapse on Walton Avenue in the Bronx where a contractor ignored a full stop work order, demolished out of sequence, and illegally used an excavator; DOB suspended the contractor's registration and issued violations, and he asks the Council to help expand enforcement tools.
A response to an incident at 57 East Burnside Avenue in the Bronx is an example of where the department took swift enforcement action in partnership with the chair's office.
On January 12, 2026, construction crews employed by a general contractor were performing demolition operations at a large single-story building.
While work was ongoing, a building wall along Walton Avenue experienced an uncontrolled collapse, spilling out onto an adjacent sidewalk shed, sending debris approximately 15 feet onto the roadway.
Fortunately, no one was hurt because of the collapse, which would have resulted in a serious injury.
DOB's investigation into this incident determined that the contractor ignored a previously issued full stop work order for the site, which legally prevented the demolition from proceeding.
Additionally, the contractor was performing the demolition out of sequence and contrary to the approved engineering plans and was illegally using an excavator to clean up the demolition work.
DOB took immediate action to suspend the registration of the contractor and issued violations to his employer.
We are using every tool in our enforcement toolbox to hold bad actors accountable and look forward to working with the City Council to expand our enforcement tools.