Partial Collapse of Gowanus Building Displaces Neighbors

Paul Stremple -
The partial building collapse at 217 9th Street took place last night, when the rear and side walls fell away (Photo via NYC911News LLC)

GOWANUS – Last night, a loud boom startled Park Slope neighbors as the rear wall of a three-story home collapsed around 11:00 pm.

The wood-frame house at 917 9th Street had been unoccupied since January, said the FDNY, and no one was injured in the collapse.

By the time firefighters arrived on the scene, the side wall of the building had collapsed as well, prompting officials to evacuate the building next door, displacing seven people.

A photo of the building at 217 9th Street before the collapse (Via PropertyShark)

Demolition permits for the house were filed a week ago, on May 10, but fire officials said that demolition will now proceed ahead of schedule.

“The house, it collapsed,” homeowner Praim Singh told the Daily News. “Nobody was working there. Nobody started anything … It just collapsed. Just like that.”

The building is estimated to be around 100 years old.