Bronx building collapse: Report claims engineer’s negligence as cause
NEW YORK - Nearly a year after a partial building collapse in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx displaced dozens of families, the New York City Department of Buildings has released its findings. The report points to negligence by the engineer in charge, identifying a failure to recognize critical masonry as structural.
The collapse occurred on Dec. 11, 2023, at 1915 Billingsly Terrace, sending a significant portion of the building tumbling down in the middle of the day and leaving dozens of families homeless just before Christmas.
Bronx building collapse: Residents face pressure, coercive agreements upon moving back in
One attorney claims the paperwork forces tenants to give up some of their rights, in exchange for the keys to the Bronx apartment building they already have rights to.
The DOB report names Richard Koenigsberg, the professional engineer responsible for the project, as the primary party at fault. According to the findings, Koenigsberg failed to identify that the bricks being removed were essential to holding up the building. As workers removed the masonry, the corner of the building collapsed.
"What they removed was holding up the building," said Eric Cowley, president of Cowley Engineering. "They didn’t find another way to hold it up while they were trying to replace a part of it. I think it was probably neglect or carelessness."
Department of Buildings issues suspension
The DoB has suspended Koenigsberg’s license for two years and issued violations against the contractor, Arsh Landmark General Construction. The contractor was cited for failing to safeguard the site and failing to notify the DOB of structural damage before the collapse.
A year later, the building remains sealed off, and the displaced families have had to find alternative housing. The city has since vowed to improve its oversight of derelict buildings and unsafe contractors.
City officials say they’ve implemented changes to better spot at-risk buildings and prevent similar incidents, with the goal of ensuring no other families face the same tragedy.