Facade Collapses Off Brownstone Building In Chelsea

From CBS New York:

CHELSEA, NY – The Department of Buildings is investigating a brownstone facade collapse in Chelsea.

Police blocked off the sidewalk in front of 355 West 20th Street as investigators try to figure out what caused an ornate cornice to come crashing down.

The collapse happened around 9:30 a.m. Monday morning. No one was hurt in the incident.

In December, a deadly facade collapse on Seventh Avenue near Times Square prompted CBS2 to look into the DOB’s database, finding more than 11,000 open violations at buildings across all five boroughs.

The 729 Seventh Ave. incident killed 60-year-old Erica Tishman after she was struck by a piece of falling debris at a building near Times Square previously warned about the condition of its facade.

City law requires buildings more than six stories to be inspected every five years.