Thema Hepburn and Chester Dean heard a boom shake their Prospect Lefferts Gardens home this weekend, then watched security footage show chunks of a neighboring building's exterior crashing into their front yard and onto their car. The couple, who own the property next door at 63 Clarkson Ave., were forced to leave with their toddler and tenants after the Department of Buildings issued a full vacate order tied to the damage.
The nor'easter that battered the region sent stucco and thick styrofoam-like panels tumbling off the six-story apartment building at 61 Clarkson Avenue, according to Gothamist. Hepburn called 911 after seeing the siding fall, and the debris ultimately totaled the couple's car, shattering both the front and back windshields. No one was injured in the incident, though Hepburn told the outlet the ordeal has been psychologically taxing and disruptive, and the couple still doesn't know the total cost of the damage.
DOB Inspection Finds Dislodged Stucco Across Yard, Driveway and Roof
Department of Buildings inspectors who responded found that exterior stucco had dislodged and fallen onto the adjacent home's sidewalk, driveway, roof, and front yard, per the same Gothamist report. A DOB spokesperson said wind conditions during the storm contributed to the facade's collapse. Official DOB open data from September 26 confirms the agency issued emergency enforcement actions against 61 Clarkson Avenue for the dislodged facade sections.
Hepburn and Dean had to leave because debris blocked safe egress at 63 Clarkson Avenue. Under DOB enforcement protocol, full vacate orders on properties adjacent to a damaged facade stay in place until the source building's owner completes emergency shoring and installs certified overhead protection. The agency has required residents to wait until scaffolding goes up before returning home.
The owner of the 11-unit building at 61 Clarkson Avenue, Clarkson Parnasa LLC, has been ordered to install a sidewalk shed outside the damaged section and enlist an engineer to submit a facade-condition report to the city, according to Gothamist's reporting. The city's Get Sheds Down initiative addresses public protection around unsafe facades.
Building Manager Points to Loosened Stucco on One Side
Cobella Realty, which manages 61 Clarkson Avenue, said stucco on the building's side loosened and fell, and told Gothamist an inspector would visit and require emergency access to units. The building, built in 2021, is currently listed for sale. Resident BJ Omodele told the outlet he saw a giant white piece of material fall right outside his apartment window during the storm.
Ross Spivak, CEO of RES Consulting NY, reviewed the aftermath and said the exterior appeared not to have been installed properly, observing that the fallen material seemed to lack mechanical fasteners. That assessment lines up with Department of Buildings technical guidance explaining that Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems, which rely on foam boards bonded to a substrate, are prone to full panel detachment during high winds when adhesive breaks down or mechanical fasteners are omitted.
A Regulatory Gap for Mid-Rise Buildings
The failure exposes a quirk in the city's building-safety rules. Under the Facade Inspection Safety Program, also known as Local Law 11, mandatory five-year facade inspections apply only to buildings taller than six stories — meaning a six-story structure like 61 Clarkson Avenue falls just outside that mandatory inspection cycle, according to the NYC Department of Buildings.
EIFS assemblies have become popular with developers in rapidly redeveloping neighborhoods in part because they weigh roughly 80 percent less than traditional cement stucco or brick veneer, per industry specifications from Sto Corp, allowing for lighter structural loads and faster construction. Barrier-style EIFS was introduced to the U.S. market in 1969 and gained popularity in the 1970s. New York's Building Code includes Chapter 14 provisions on exterior wall coverings, according to the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry.
Neighbors Voice Broader Safety Worries
The nor'easter brought high winds to the region.
The incident has sparked concerns about construction safety on the Clarkson Avenue block. Anne Ginsberg, who has lived in the 61 Clarkson Avenue building for more than a year, said she's concerned about the building's structural safety. Fellow resident Maura Johnson raised similar worries about the quality of new construction in the neighborhood, even as she acknowledged that high rents have made residents glad to see new development come in.
