The long-vacant, graffiti-streaked six-story building at 210 Seventh Ave. in Chelsea is finally coming down, a fate sealed by an April three-alarm fire that gutted the structure and rattled the block. The city’s Department of Buildings deemed the charred hulk an imminent safety hazard and ordered an emergency demolition, with crews moving in by late April. Sidewalks are closed off, the facade is being peeled away piece by piece, and neighbors are watching a neighborhood fixture vanish in slow motion as prosecutors press criminal charges tied to the blaze.
Cost and ownership
Taking down the wreck will not be cheap. The demolition is expected to cost about $850,000, according to the New York Business Journal. That outlet also reports the property was sold at a sheriff’s auction last year to a company listed as Chelsea 210 LLC, c/o Casey Schear.
City investigators' findings
FDNY fire marshals did not mince words, describing the April blaze as “incendiary,” and post-fire inspections prompted the Department of Buildings to order an Immediate Emergency Demolition, according to Chelsea News. Statewide Demolition Corp. began tearing into the facade on April 28, the outlet reports, with crews closing off the sidewalk while they work to stabilize and dismantle what is left.
Arson charges
New York State prosecutors have now indicted 32-year-old Brittany Babb on charges that include felony arson and reckless endangerment in connection with the April 12 fire, according to Our Town Downtown. Court documents cited by the outlet allege Babb set cardboard alight inside the vacant building. She has pleaded not guilty and is being held on $25,001 bail.
Fire response and neighborhood impact
The fire response was massive. Dozens of FDNY units and roughly 190 firefighters were dispatched, and crews fought the flames from tower ladders rather than going inside because the conditions were too dangerous, NBC New York reported. Four firefighters suffered minor injuries and were treated, and the neighboring building at 208 West 22nd Street took on water damage during the effort to bring the Chelsea blaze under control, the station added.
A long-running neighborhood eyesore
For many locals, the fire was just the latest chapter in a long, frustrating saga at that corner. Neighbors and local reporting describe the building as a chronic headache, with sidewalk sheds lingering for years, unpaid fines piling up, and repeated Department of Buildings violations tied to absentee owner Errol Rainess. The property once housed Chelsea’s Espresso Bar and later served as a canvas for murals, but residents say years of neglect left the structure weakened and vulnerable, Chelsea Community News reports.
What’s next
For now, the priority is making the site safe. The Department of Buildings will continue to oversee the demolition while FDNY fire marshals and prosecutors keep pushing their investigation forward, Chelsea News notes. Neighbors say they are hoping that once the dust clears, the lot will finally be put to better use. At minimum, one longstanding hazard on the block is finally on its way out.
