Worker Fell to Death From Flatbush Historic Bank Site: Police

The Flatbush Savings Bank building in March 2021. (Image: Dann Lawrence)

A construction worker has fallen to his death at the site of a half-demolished historic bank building, according to police.

The 49-year-old man was part of a crew working inside the former Flatbush Savings Bank building at 1045 Flatbush Avenue, according to a preliminary investigation. The man, who has not been publicly identified, was on the roof when he fell to the street and suffered head and body trauma.

EMS transported the unconscious man to NYC Health and Hospitals-Kings County, where he was pronounced dead.

The NYPD is investigating the incident, as is the city’s Department of Buildings.

Demolition began on the 94-year-old building in March, despite some last-minute efforts by advocates to preserve it. The three-story building was constructed in 1927 and designed by architecture firm Halsey, McCormack & Helmer, which also designed the landmarked Williamsburg Savings Bank building in north Brooklyn.

A new, mixed-use structure is expected to rise at the location, which is adjacent to the Kings Theatre.

The property’s owner, Nehalkumar Gandhi, did not immediately respond to a voicemail requesting comment. Gandhi and his associates have proposed and developed a slew of hotel projects across the city in recent years; some are being used as homeless shelters, while several others remain unfinished.