Problems Aren't Fixed, but The Modern Will Rock the Burg Again

The Modern, the Robert Scarano-designed building on N. 7th Street in Williamsburg, is ready to rock again. We got a call from neighborhood activist Phillip Depaolo who noted that construction equipment was arriving at the site and that the Stop Work Order that was slapped on the site in the summer had been lifted. Fans of the collateral damage of Williamsburg development might recall that the contractors working on the project busted a sewer line and were alleged to have drilled into the wall of the L Train tunnel (which was later said to be untrue). The project was stopped because it had damaged a nearby building and had undermined the sidewalk on N. 7th Street.

So, the problem have been fixed, right? Wrong. Mr. Depaolo says that the damaged building (which has a hairline crack) has not been shored up and that the undermined sidewalk has not been repaired. Last time the DOB lifted the Stop Work Order it was quickly reimposed when the failure to address the problems was publicized. According to Mr. Depaolo, nothing has changed since the previous lifting and reimposition. "They haven't done the repairs," Mr. Depaolo says. "And obviously no one from DOB has been out to check to see if they did any repairs."

Back in September, Mr. Depaolo emailed this:

I was amazed when I noticed last week that the stop work order at 205 N 7th st was lifted when the violations that the stop work was issued for were not fixed. This is the second stop work order that the DOB has lifted at this site with the violations not being fixed. My greater concern is that there is a crack at 203 N 7th and the DOB is going to allow drilling and pile driving while the violation for failure to shore up this property is unresolved! The residents of 203 N 7th are seniors and their daughter and have lived at 203 all their lives. Something has to be done.

He says that absolutely nothing has changed. In any case, make that the third stop work order that has been lifted without conditions being addressed.