lCYMI: Construction Stopped At Former Cobble Hill Hospital Site

COBBLE HILL, BROOKLYN — The city has shut down construction at 350 Henry St., the site of the former Long Island College Hospital whose renovation efforts have become a neighborhood nuisance.

The latest instance came on Thursday, when winds whipped through city streets at gusts of up to 60 miles per hour. A piece of debris flew off the roof of the building and damaged windows, a light post and a vehicle across the street, according to a Department of Buildings complaint.

After neighbors complained to city officials, DOB inspectors showed up at the property that day, found other violations on site and issued a stop work order for the building.

The Department of Buildings issued violations for "failure to safeguard public and property (dislodged wood), failure to institute fall protection and for smoking on site."

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“As a result of extraordinary high winds, materials were blown off of the building site," a statement from Fortis said. "No injuries were reported and both our team and FDNY were on the scene immediately following the incident. All damaged areas have since been secured.”

"Another day, another incident at the LICH site — this one both scary and dangerous," State Senator Daniel Squadron said in a statement about the wind-blown incident. "It's another instance of our former healthcare facility becoming a development site that disregards and endangers the local community."

Indeed, the property on the corner of Henry and Amity streets has become a frequent target of Cobble Hill residents.

About a month ago, Squadron and other state and city officials wrote to the DOB asking the department to stop after-hours construction, which residents complained was starting as early as 5 a.m. some mornings. The DOB said it would not issue "After Hours Variances" on the site.

"Our shuttered healthcare facility has now become a community safety concern," Squadron said. "Incident after incident at the LICH site underscores how this development disregards and endangers the community."

While its exact plans are unclear, Fortis is developing the site of the former hospital to turn it into market-rate apartments and housing. The developer in November scrapped plans for affordable housing, going forward with an "as-of right" development plan that does not involve any re-zoning.

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Editor's note: This story was originally published on Tuesday, March 7