665 New York Ave Apartment Complex

A tragedy of continuing losses and a future unknown. This one is indeed a terrible loss for tenants of this residential disaster. In 2012, lightning struck the 7-story building and caused a seven-alarm fire that started from the top of the roof to the top floor of the building. Hundred and fifteen tenants of the building were displaced as a result of the loss and took 4 hours to bring under control over 200 firefighters, 25 of whom suffered minor injuries. But as of today, the building stands vacant and locked as legal matters slowly unwind against the landlord of the property until the legal suits against the holding company are completely resolved. No one lost their lives in the blaze but adding injury and even more pain for the displaced tenants. When they were allowed to enter and take what was left of their possessions a few days later, they found that someone had stolen their remaining possessions. Talk about callousness!

The property currently has issues with being continually broken into and complaints of people actually living inside the burned-out structure. Indeed, birds can be seen living inside the frame. Nothing seemed amiss surrounding the lower floors where the windows were boarded from any potential ground-floor level access. Across the street, a new residential building rises into the air as remaining tenants from this tragedy await the final conclusion of the legal process in whether the current landlord will either rebuild or upgrade the structure or allow the structure to rot until demolition through neglect. As of 2024, the building windows have been framed out all the way to the top but nothing substantial has taken place since the fire in its rehabilitation or restoration. A damning inaction in the shortage of New York housing currently playing out in the city and the halls of the state capital in Albany. 

A $23 million lawsuit filed in 2015 alleges that Kings & Queens Holdings failed to sufficiently fireproof the building. That complaint alleges the landlord failed to provide adequate security, which lead to the residents’ apartments being ransacked. Other lawsuits filed against the landlord in a bid to compel the firm to fix a slew of building violations and to compensate them for leases on uninhabitable apartments, as well as for the cost of moving and other expenses incurred since the July 26, 2012 fire.






Sources:





1. Goldstein, J. (2012, July 26). (Two Dozen Firefighters Hurt in Brooklyn Fire). NYTimes.

2.  Trangle, S. (2018, September 17). (Brooklyn tenants still fighting for resolution 6 years after fire). amny.

3. TRD Staff. (2012, July 26). (Lightning strikes Brooklyn apartment building, 24 firefighters injured). The Real Deal.

Location: 665 New York Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Inside the Abandoned St. Michael and St. Edward Church in Brooklyn

Image
For weeks, I had been orbiting the perimeter of the impending demolition of the Church of St. Michael and St. Edward, a once revered church in the heart of Fort Greene, like a moth drawn to a flame. The neighborhood, a patchwork of tight project housing, seemed indifferent to the fate of this historic edifice. The intel I had received suggested that entry was as simple as scaling a wooden fence, yet the timing had never felt right. Until one day, it did. With a mission in New Jersey looming, I knew it was now or never. The demolition was advancing at a startling pace, the church's twin steeples already reduced to rubble. The skeletal remains of timber beams and rusted steel frames peeked out from the ruins, a testament to the relentless march of progress. Summoning a surge of courage, I seized a moment of quiet in the bustling housing project and vaulted over the fence. My heart pounded in my chest as I slipped unnoticed into the church grounds. The once grand entrance now stood as...
Read more

Potter Hill Mill: Inside Westerly, RI's Abandoned Textile History (Photo Tour)

Image
  In my extensive ventures across various businesses, churches, factories, and plants, I've encountered a plethora of remnants from bygone industrial eras. Yet, none have left as profound an impression as the sight of the leftover machinery at the former Potter Hill Mill. Nestled amidst its surroundings, these aging relics stand as silent witnesses to a vibrant industrial past, their once-potent functionality now subdued by the relentless march of time. The manufacturing equipment, once the lifeblood of cotton goods production, remains steadfast, firmly bolted to the floor, slowly succumbing to the relentless embrace of rust and decay. It's a scene frozen in time—a rare glimpse into the mechanical marvels of the 1800s, preserved in their original state, untouched and unscathed by modern interventions. As I gaze upon the weather-worn structures and rusted machinery, I'm struck by the poignant juxtaposition of past and present. The former textile mill, once a bustling hub of...
Read more

Bridgeport Organ Company: From Music to Decay – An Abandoned Factory Story

Image
As you drive along Interstate 95, you might catch a glimpse of the blown-out windows of the former Bridgeport Organ Company. This imposing structure, with its faded billboard, has stood vacant and abandoned for years. Inside, the scene is one of decay and disarray—dangling pipes, snack wrappers, empty alcohol bottles, spray cans, and collapsed floors. Signs of squatter activity, like overturned buckets used as chairs and sleeping bags spread across the wooden floors, were prevalent back in 2014. Despite its current state, the site has a rich history. The Bridgeport Organ Company once produced exquisite organs with ornate wooden cases. These instruments, standing six feet high and four feet wide, were prized pieces of furniture in family parlors before the advent of record players. As musical tastes evolved, so did the factory's production. By the late 19th century, the demand for home organs declined, giving way to new inventions like the graphophone, an early version of the phonog...
Read more

Inside the Abandoned Rockaway Metal Products Factory in Queens (Photos)

Image
Rockaway Metals Products (RMP) began as a sheet metal fabrication factory beginning in 1961. RMP occupied the site from 1971 to 1987 leaving a plethora of hazardous waste materials onsite. From 1990 to 2004 the building housed various tenants which even included an auto repair shop. Rockaway Metals a manufacturer of filing cabinets and other metal products closed down in 1987. It was leased a few years ago to different owners who did not manage the 4.85-acre parcel. The 155,000-square-foot building has long been an eyesore and trouble in the neighborhood since its closure. A coastal storm in March 2018 blew debris materials to adjacent properties. Rockaway Metals was acquired by Nassau County in 1995 by tax deed. The county has held onto the property for 22-plus years. In February 2011, the site was damaged by fire and condemned soon thereafter. For more in-depth legal ownership of the property, you can read more below in the source list under U.S. v. 175 INWOOD ASSOCIATES LLP. ...
Read more

Fallout TV Series Filming Locations: A Complete Guide to Every NY & NJ Site

Image
A desolate sand swept Fallout Santa Monica Pier. Discover the captivating locales of Amazon Prime’s Fallout TV series as Lucy, Maximus, Moldaver, and the dreaded Ghoul vie for the Vault-Tec cold fusion relic. Filmed across various iconic spots in New York and New Jersey, the series brings the post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, California wasteland to life. Here’s a closer look at the real-life locations featured in the show. Let me know in the comments below how much you loved the show. Were you surprised by the New York-centric locations? Episode 1 (“The End”) In a gripping and unforgettable episode, we witness Lucy emerging from the subterranean depths of Vault 33 centuries ahead of schedule, driven by an urgent quest to rescue her father, Hank, the Overseer of Vault 33. This dramatic turn of events follows the brutal infiltration of Vault 32 by Moldaver’s raiders, who cunningly disguised themselves as the already deceased rioting inhabitants of the vault. The story's turmoil begins ...
Read more