The good news is that 227 Grand Street was going to be demolished anyhow. Unfortunately, gravity reared its ugly head before the demo crew could get to that end of the building.

This is all part of the Gandar’s demolition at the corner of Grand and Driggs (where a 14-story condo is proposed – that’s the former Stinger Club at the far right of the photo). The building in question was a three-story flat house, constructed in the mid-19th century. In all likelihood, the failure of this wall was related to vibrations caused by the ongoing demolition, as well as the demo itself. But its also very likely that the side wall was compromised years ago, as it is a former party wall that was never intended to be exposed to the elements. As we recall, the building next door was demolished about four or five years ago.

A stop work order has been issued on this project (for an expired permit, not as a result of this wall failure). According to our friends on the block (who took these photos today), workers have been busy on the site for the past few days. And they weren’t doing “emergency” repairs to keep this wall standing and ensure the public safety.