Who we lost
- Nicole Daniela Salvada Rodriguez, 9
- Kevin Santiago Reyes Gonzalez, 10
- Gabriel Siguencia, 22
- Barry Mamadou, 23
- Jose Luis Caguana Cosquillo, 26
- Edgar Sapon, 26
- Juan Daniel Salvada Guzman, 31
- Ndiaye Mamadou, 31
Eighteen more people were injured, including four firefighters. Our prayers are with every one of their families.
This is why this story is so important to us. Two of the people we lost were children. Almost everything on this page was public before 1321 Flatbush fell. Nobody connected it in time.
See: CBS New York, Nov. 13, 2026 (article), which reported the names and ages citing a senior NYPD official.
The story
What happened
On Nov. 11, 2026, 1321 Flatbush Avenue, a three-story brick building with apartments, fell into the hole dug next door for a new building at 2625 Bedford Avenue. That night, the Fire Department's Chief of Department, John M. Esposito, described "the complete collapse of a three-story multiple dwelling into the construction site excavation next door."
The city's Buildings Commissioner, Ahmed Tigani, said: "They have a plan approved for a three-story building, but they have current plans looking for a nine-story building, which has not yet been approved for." The public record tells a different story.
See: Mayor's press conference transcript, Nov. 11, 2026 (transcript)
2625 Bedford Avenue: one address, but three buildings on paper
The developer's own soil report, the engineering study of the ground done before building, describes a ten-story building. The dig plans the city's Department of Buildings approved, the plans for how the hole is held up, describe three stories. The city's own record for that exact same filing lists nine. A separate application to City Planning for a supermarket bonus also describes nine.
The Commissioner said a three-story building was approved. We searched every city system we know of and can't find that approval. We're asking the city to show it to us.
The wall facing the hole
Before work started, Quiver Monitoring did a preconstruction survey, an inspection of the neighboring buildings, addressed to Promont Builders. It rated 1321 Flatbush's north wall, the one facing the construction site, "Poor": "Wide range of major deficiencies noted," with visible cracks.
The survey looked only at the outside, "as requested by the client." The project's own soil report and dig plans both said neighboring buildings should be checked inside and out. The survey never went inside the building whose wall it rated "Poor."
(Remind us to come back to Quiver. It says this report, filed for a permit, can't be "used or referred to" without its written consent. Hold that thought.)
The paperwork
The demolition application asked whether the building next door was made of masonry, meaning brick or stone, or wood. The answer given was "No." The Buildings Department flagged it: the answer "shall be answered YES," and a "Yes" can trigger monitoring of the building next door. 1321 Flatbush was brick. It took the city catching it.
The letters warning neighbors and Community Board 17 that work was coming carry dates four months after the dates the Buildings Department's official portal shows for them. The notices meant for 1321's owner were mailed to 1321 itself, not to the owner's address on the deed.
Community Board 17 is the most local form of city government in this part of Brooklyn, where residents get to weigh in on what gets built. In more than a year of its posted minutes, 2625 Bedford never comes up. In June 2026, its Land Use committee did review a different nine-story project, at 885 to 887 New York Avenue.
The City Charter says every community board must post the past 12 months of minutes online. Community Board 17's site is missing full-board minutes for March, September and October 2026. Some committee links open the wrong year's meeting. Maybe this project is in the missing minutes. Who knows?
After the building fell
Nov. 12, the day after the tragedy: MD Islam, the special inspector responsible for checking the dig, filed to withdraw from the project. That same day, the Buildings Commissioner said Islam's agency license was valid until 2029. As of Nov. 13, the city's own license records list it as "EXPIRED."
Also on Nov. 12: hours after a Crain's reporter asked, the city rewrote its official violation for the site. The first version blamed "unsafe construction operations." The new version: that's gone. The Buildings Department's explanation: "human error."
What we found
Through our research, we found information we haven't seen in any other news coverage. (Our apologies if someone published any of this before us. Our point was to be thorough.)
- Ten, three and nine stories. One site. The soil report, written Nov. 21, 2025, says: "The current plan is to develop the site with a ten-story building and a cellar." The dig plans the Buildings Department approved on March 22, 2026, are titled "SUPPORT OF EXCAVATION OF PROPOSED 3 STORY BUILDING." The city's own filing record for those same dig plans lists 9 stories and 64 apartments. Then, in October 2026, an application to City Planning described nine stories again. The plans holding up the ground next to 1321 Flatbush were approved for three stories. The city's own record for the same filing says nine. The Commissioner says three was approved. We can't find that approval.
- 1321's wall rated "Poor," checked outside only. On March 5, 2026, six months before digging began, the developer's survey of the buildings next door rated 1321 Flatbush's wall facing the construction site "Poor": "Wide range of major deficiencies noted." It covered only the sidewalk and the outside walls, "as requested by the client." The project's own soil report and dig plans called for inspecting neighboring buildings inside and out. The survey rated the wall "Poor" without ever going inside.
- Notice letters dated months after the city's own records. These letters warn neighbors and Community Board 17 that work is coming. The Buildings Department's official portal says the demolition notices were created Sept. 11, 2025. The letters are dated Jan. 14, 2026. For the dig, the portal says Feb. 5, 2026. Those letters are dated June 10, 2026. Four months apart, both times. The record doesn't say why. And the notices meant for 1321's owner, Isolag Realty Corp, were addressed to 1321 Flatbush itself, not the owner's address on the 2024 deed. The warning that work was coming next door went to the building.
- The inspector filing to withdraw after the tragedy. On Nov. 12, the day after the tragedy, MD Islam, the special inspector responsible for checking the dig, filed to withdraw from the project. That same day, the Buildings Commissioner said Islam's agency license was valid until 2029. As of Nov. 13, the city's own license records list it as expired. The Commissioner and the city's own records don't agree.
- Community Board 17: a year of minutes that never mention this project, with months of minutes missing. We read every set of minutes Community Board 17 posted from its General Board, Land Use and Commerce committees, September 2025 to September 2026. 2625 Bedford, its owners and its companies never come up. The one nine-story project that did come up: 885 to 887 New York Avenue, reviewed by the Land Use committee in June 2026. The City Charter requires every board to post the past 12 months of minutes. Community Board 17's site is missing full-board minutes for March, September and October 2026, and some committee links open the wrong year's meeting. If this project was ever discussed in public, Community Board 17's posted record doesn't show it.
- And one more: the masonry "No." The demolition application answered "No" when asked whether the building next door was brick, stone or wood. The Buildings Department flagged it and said the answer should be "Yes," which can trigger monitoring of the building next door. The reply on file: "PW1 was corrected." PW1 is the application form. 1321 Flatbush was brick. It took the city catching it.
What we don't know
We don't know why the building fell. The investigation has to answer that. We're not saying any one thing caused it. What we know is that the warnings, contradictions and loose ends were public, and nobody connected them in time.
Timeline
What was on the public record, month by month, and why it matters. The right-hand column shows what Community Board 17 posted for the same month.
| When |
What was on the record, and why it matters |
Community Board 17 that month |
| June 2024 |
FF1632 LLC and JS1024 LLC buy 2625 Bedford Avenue, the construction site, for $3,990,000. These are the two companies that later appear as the site's owners on the demolition job. 2024 deed, 2625 Bedford |
General Board (June 18, 2024) and Land Use (June 6, 2024, file still named "pending"): 2625 Bedford never comes up. |
| Sept. 30, 2024 |
1321 Flatbush's last registration on file with HPD, the city's housing agency, expires. The last registration lists FEMI Realty Corp, with Olufemi Falade as president, agent and site manager. Two of the building's open violations are for failing "to file a valid registration statement." HPD registration |
|
| Oct. 2024 |
1321 Flatbush, the building that fell, changes hands for "TEN dollars," with $0 in transfer tax. FEMI Realty Corp deeds it to Isolag Realty Corp. Olufemi Falade signs the deed and signs the affidavit as both seller and buyer. Isolag is the owner the construction notices were later addressed to. 2024 deed |
General Board (Oct. 16, 2024): no mention. Land Use (Oct. 3, 2024): one line, "Need to research the parking situation and requirements for the new development on Bedford Avenue." No address given. We can't confirm this is 2625 Bedford. |
| Sept. 2025 |
The Buildings Department's official portal says demolition notices were created Sept. 11, 2025. The letters themselves are dated Jan. 14, 2026, four months later. These are the letters that tell neighbors and Community Board 17 that work is coming. Notice letters next to the city portal's dates |
General Board: posted. Land Use: posted. Commerce: the "September 2025" file opens minutes dated "Setember 16th 2024." |
| Oct. 30, 2025 |
Test pits, small holes to look at the soil and the neighbors' foundations, are dug on the construction site. Work on the ground starts more than a year before the tragedy. DOB NOW, job B01330433 |
General Board: still posted as "Draft minutes" a year later, under the same file name as June 2025. Land Use: the "October 2025" file holds the minutes of a June 5, 2024 meeting. Commerce: a different file that also opens "Setember 16th 2024." |
| Nov. 21, 2025 |
The soil report plans a ten-story building and says the buildings next door "would need underpinning," meaning their foundations would need shoring up. It's the first of three different building heights on the record. Soil report |
General Board: posted. Land Use: listed, no file. Commerce: not listed at all. |
| Dec. 26, 2025 |
The dig plans are dated, for a "3 STORY BUILDING." Height number two. Approved dig plans |
General Board: posted. Land Use: posted. Commerce: not listed at all. |
| Jan. 14, 2026 |
Demolition notices are dated, including one to Community Board 17, saying work will start in 10 days. The official portal says these were created four months earlier. Notice letters · Notice to Community Board 17 |
General Board: posted. Land Use: marked cancelled. Commerce: marked "Pending," and the link opens February 2025 minutes. |
| Feb. 2 and 5, 2026 |
Demolition is approved. The Buildings Department had already flagged the application's wrong "No" about the masonry building next door. Buildings Department objection on the demolition application |
General Board: posted. Land Use: marked cancelled. Commerce: marked "Pending," no file. |
| March 2026 |
March 5: the survey rates 1321's wall facing the hole "Poor" and looks only at the outside, six months before digging began. March 20: the city stops all demolition because it started without the required protection for the buildings next door. March 22: the city approves dig plans for three stories. Preconstruction survey, March 5, 2026 |
General Board: listed, no file. Land Use: posted. Commerce: posted. |
| April 23, 2026 |
The contractor is caught still demolishing while under the stop-work order. Second penalty on the same job in five weeks: $10,000, admitted, paid. Stop-work violations, March 20 and April 23, 2026 |
General Board: posted. Land Use: listed, no file. Commerce: posted. |
| May 8, 2026 |
The stop-work order is lifted: "Demo Completed. Civil penalty Paid." The old building is gone. Next comes the dig. |
General Board: posted as a web page. Land Use: listed, no file. Commerce: listed, no file. |
| June 2026 |
June 3: the foundation filing is approved. June 10 to 11: dig notices are dated and mailed, saying work "will commence within 30 days." The official portal says they were created Feb. 5, 2026. The one for 1321's owner went to 1321 itself. Notices to 1321's owner |
General Board: posted as a web page. The last General Board minutes posted. Land Use: posted as a web page. Reviewed a different nine-story project, at 885 to 887 New York Avenue. Commerce: listed, no file. |
| Sept. 9 to 10, 2026 |
Permits are issued and digging begins, two months before the tragedy. The earthwork notices answer "Yes" to "Does the work include Rock Blasting?" City filing record |
General Board: not listed at all. Land Use: posted as a web page (amended). Commerce: listed, no file. |
| Oct. 7 to 9, 2026 |
A supermarket-bonus application goes to City Planning for a nine-story building with a 12,009 square foot food store. Height number three on the record, a month before the tragedy. City Planning supermarket-bonus application |
General Board, Land Use and Commerce: none listed at all. |
| Nov. 2, 2026 |
City Planning sends comments on the supermarket-bonus application back to the applicant. |
|
| Nov. 9, 2026 |
City Planning logs the supermarket-bonus application as "Land Use Application Filed," two days before the tragedy. It is still "Not yet noticed," and "Land Use Fee Paid" is "Not Started," so formal public review, including notice to Community Board 17, had not begun. The dig and foundation permits had been issued two months earlier, on Sept. 9. City Planning project page |
|
| Nov. 10, 2026 |
A second construction fence permit is issued, the day before the tragedy. |
|
| Nov. 11, 2026 |
1321 Flatbush falls into the hole next door. Eight people die. Eighteen are injured, including four firefighters. |
|
| Nov. 12, 2026 |
The special inspector files to withdraw. A city violation saying "unsafe construction operations" caused the collapse is rewritten after Crain's asks about it. 1321 Flatbush gets a vacate order. Withdrawal requests |
|
| Nov. 13, 2026 |
The city's license records list the inspector's agency as "EXPIRED." A complaint asking whether the dig "contributed to the collapse" is closed: "NO VIOLATION WARRANTED." City license record |
Community Board 17's General Board meets Nov. 18. |
The contractor's year
Stop-work violations, March 20 and April 23, 2026. On March 20, the Buildings Department found "full demolition had started and required overhead protection was not installed or provided for adjacent properties," and ordered: "Stop all demolition work." $2,500. Admitted. Paid. On April 23, the Department found "Respondent continued to do demolition work while on notice of a SWO." $10,000 for "unlawfully continued work while notice of a stop work order." Admitted. Paid. On May 8: "FULLY RESCINDED... Demo Completed. Civil penalty Paid." The demolition finished anyway. Complaint 3A53231
N Tech's 2026 penalties. Both penalties name the contractor N TECH DESIGN OF AMERICA. In 2026 alone, it's named on 89 Buildings Department penalties at 32 buildings, from Jan. 16 to Oct. 29, with $284,480 imposed. On May 1, "NO GUARD RAILS" during a two-story demolition ($5,000). On June 14, two three-story demolitions "10 FT. FROM ADJOINING BUILDING" on Mt. Hope Place ($5,000 each). 1321 Flatbush wasn't even 10 feet away. Per the soil report, a three-story brick building "abuts" the site's lot line. That means touching. City penalty records (raw city data) · Soil report
N Tech Design of America is also the applicant on a construction fence permit for the site, issued March 11, 2026. The second fence permit was issued Nov. 10, the day before the tragedy.
The rule. The New York City Charter, Section 2800(d)(22), says every community board must "maintain a website that provides adequate public notice of upcoming meetings, minutes from past meetings for the past twelve months, and contact information for the board." New York Public Officers Law, Section 106(3), says that if an agency keeps a regularly updated website, minutes "shall be posted on the website within two weeks from the date of such meeting." NYC Charter §2800(d)(22) · Public Officers Law §106
The wrong file behind the link:
- Land Use, "October 2025": a file labeled "Draft" that holds the minutes of a June 5, 2024 meeting.
- Commerce, "January 2026 (Pending)": opens the February 2025 Commerce minutes.
- Commerce, "January 2025": opens that same February 2025 file.
- Commerce, "September 2025" and "October 2025": two different files that both open "Setember 16th 2024."
Listed, with no file behind it:
- General Board: March 2026.
- Land Use: November 2025, April 2026 and May 2026.
- Commerce: February 2026 (marked "Pending"), May 2026, June 2026 and September 2026.
Not listed at all:
- General Board: nothing after June 2026. September and October 2026 are missing.
- Land Use: October 2026.
- Commerce: November and December 2025, and October 2026.
And the rest:
- The General Board's October 2025 minutes are still posted as "Draft minutes," a year later.
- The June 2025 and October 2025 General Board minutes are two different files with the same name.
- May and June 2026 General Board minutes, and June and September 2026 Land Use minutes, link to web pages instead of files.
State law lets an unabridged video recording count as minutes, and Community Board 17 posts its meetings on YouTube. But the minutes are the record a neighbor can actually read and search. In the minutes Community Board 17 did post, from Sept. 2025 to Sept. 2026, this project never comes up. A different nine-story project, at 885 to 887 New York Avenue, did, in June 2026. Community Board 17's chair, Monzurat Oni, told The New York Times this developer did not come to a board meeting this year to answer the public's questions. Maybe it's in the missing minutes. Who knows?
See: Community Board 17 minutes, Sept. 2025 to Sept. 2026 (General Board · Land Use · Commerce) and Community Board 17 minutes pages as they looked on Nov. 13, 2026 (General Board · Land Use · Commerce)
Side note: Community Board 17 isn't the only board that makes this hard. When we checked all 18 Brooklyn community boards this month, half had out-of-date minutes pages, and three hadn't posted written minutes in over a year. We're putting together a clear guide to finding your board's meetings, agendas, notices and minutes, and how to apply. Coming soon. (You're welcome, Borough President Reynoso.)
The receipts
Every record behind the story. Files we posted open as PDFs or images. City records link to the city's own official systems. Each bold title matches the "See:" line on our Instagram slides.
Ten, three, nine
Soil report. The soil report is the engineering study of the ground, done before anything gets built. International Testing Laboratories wrote this one on Nov. 21, 2025, for the construction site at 2625 Bedford Avenue. It says: "The current plan is to develop the site with a ten-story building and a cellar." Its draft floor plans run all the way to a "10th and bulkhead" plan. Ten stories. Soil report
Approved dig plans. The dig plans, officially excavation drawings, show how the hole is held up so the ground and the buildings next door don't move. LMW Engineering Group (Jieming Wang, P.E.) dated them Dec. 26, 2025. The Buildings Department stamped them "APPROVED" on March 22, 2026. The title: "SUPPORT OF EXCAVATION OF PROPOSED 3 STORY BUILDING AT 2625 BEDFORD AVENUE." The scope: "PROPOSED SUPPORT OF EXCAVATION FOR THE NEW 3-STORY BUILDING." Three stories. Approved dig plans
City filing record. The city keeps its own public record of every building filing. For that exact same dig filing, it lists 9 proposed stories and 64 apartments, approved March 22, 2026, first permit Sept. 9, 2026. The owner fields: W6 FACILITY X. LLC, Robert Fischman. Same filing, same approval date, nine stories. City filing record · The city's raw data
The nine-story building application itself (job B01330433, filing I1) lists W6 FACILITY X. LLC as owner, with Robert Fischman in the owner fields. The architect is Cheng-Yi Lin. The filing representative is Chaya Sarah Hoffman of The Expediter Group. The city's raw data
City Planning supermarket-bonus application. FRESH is a City Planning program tied to including a grocery store in a new building. Application 2025K0434 is "being sought by a FF1632 LLC," with Marty Waisbrod as primary applicant. It describes nine stories, about 56,563 square feet, with a 12,009 square foot food store. A letter from FF 1632 LLC calls the company "a fifty percent (50%) owner." It's signed by Faigy Fischman, Managing Member, notarized May 2026, and authorizes the law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP to act for it. Submitted Oct. 7, 2026. City Planning sent comments back Nov. 2. Resubmitted, and logged as "Land Use Application Filed," on Nov. 9, two days before the tragedy. It is still "Not yet noticed," and "Land Use Fee Paid" is "Not Started," so formal public review, including notice to Community Board 17, had not begun. The dig and foundation permits were issued Sept. 9, a month before the application was even submitted. Nine stories again, formally filed two days before the building fell. Project page · Authorization letter · Application form
Our search for the three-story approval. On Nov. 11, the night of the tragedy, Commissioner Tigani said there was "a plan approved for a three-story building." On Nov. 12, the Buildings Department repeated it to News 12. We searched the Buildings Department's official portals, DOB NOW and BIS, plus the city's open data and an old 2013 filing for the lot, which turned out to be a one-story community center conversion. We can't find a three-story building approval. If it exists, show us.
The "Poor" wall
Preconstruction survey, March 5, 2026. A preconstruction survey is an inspection of the neighboring buildings before work starts, so everyone knows what shape they were in. Quiver Monitoring did this one on March 5, 2026, six months before digging began, and addressed it to Promont Builders ("Dear Yossi Kopstein"). It rated 1321 Flatbush's north wall "Poor," defined as "Wide range of major deficiencies noted," with visible cracks. The survey's photos show that north wall is the one that rose above the one-story building on the construction site. The soil report describes it too: "a three-story brick building with a cellar abuts the south lot line."
The scope: "conducted on the perimeter sidewalk and facades of the referenced property, as requested by the client." The survey looked only at the outside of the wall it rated "Poor."
The survey runs 738 pages. We posted the 15 that matter: the cover, the index, the cover letter, the summary table, the 1321 Flatbush section and all 18 photos of the north wall. Preconstruction survey, key pages · The full survey on the Buildings Department's official portal (open filing B01330433-S4, then Documents)
Quiver Monitoring's cover letter says: "This report is property of Quiver Monitoring USA LLC. At no point can this report be used or referred to without the written consent of a senior representative of Quiver Monitoring."
Quiver, please holler if you'd like us to take it down, even though it's posted on the public record here, because this kind of information is not meant to be private.
A side note to the City of New York: why do people involved in building next to our homes get to stamp "this can't be used" on documents filed for the public record? If it's needed to get a permit, it's needed by the public. Holler at us too.
Soil report and dig plans inspection notes. The project's own engineers asked for more than the survey did. The soil report calls for surveying adjoining structures on "Both exterior and interior surfaces." The dig plans require a visual inspection of adjacent structures "(INSIDE AND OUT)." Inside and out is what the project's own engineers wrote down. Outside only is what the survey did. Soil report · Approved dig plans
Safety limits
Dig plans, monitoring notes (sheet SOE-200). The dig plans set their own safety limits, in note 7 on sheet SOE-200. If the building next door moves 1/4 inch, notify. At 1/2 inch, "STOP WORK." If vibration passes 0.5 inches per second, notify. Above 0.75 inches per second, "AND/OR ANY INDIVIDUAL CRACK GAUGE READING EXCEEDS 2MM," stop work and "INFORM NYC DOB EXCAVATION UNIT." Other notes call for weekly surveys with optical instruments, crack gauges on the cracks already in the neighbors' walls, and vibration monitors running in real time. The readings go to the construction manager, the owner and the engineer.
The soil report adds: "It is expected that the adjoining buildings abutting the lot line would need underpinning," meaning shoring up their foundations.
No monitoring reports appear in any public filing. Under the plan, the readings go to the construction manager, the owner and the engineer, not necessarily to the city. Approved dig plans · Soil report
Masonry "No"
Buildings Department objection on the demolition application. The demolition application (job B01285846) asked whether the building next door is masonry, meaning brick or stone, or wood framed. The answer given was "No." The Buildings Department flagged it. It wrote that the application "incorrectly answered NO to question whether Adj bldg is masonry OR wood framed... the answer to the question shall be answered YES. Then, in case monitoring of the adj bldg is triggered by DOB NOW, including monitoring plan for the adjacent bldg." The reply on file: "PW1 was corrected. There is no party wall in this application." PW1 is the application form. A party wall is a wall two buildings share. 1321 Flatbush was brick. It took the city catching it. Buildings Department objection on the demolition application
Notice dates
Notice letters next to the city portal's dates. These letters warn the neighbors and Community Board 17 that work is coming. The demolition letters say they're sent "As per New York City Building Department Regulations." The Buildings Department's official portal records when each notice was created. The letters carry their own dates.
| The notice |
The city's official portal says it was created |
The letter is dated |
The gap |
| Demolition notices to neighbors and Community Board 17, "Owner: Robert Fischman," saying work will start in 10 days |
Sept. 11, 2025 |
Jan. 14, 2026 |
Four months |
| Dig notices on FF1632 LLC letterhead, signed "Robert Fischman, Member," saying work "will commence within 30 days" |
Feb. 5, 2026 |
June 10, 2026 (postmarked June 11) |
Four months |
The portal doesn't define "Created On." The record doesn't say why the dates are four months apart, twice. Demolition notices · Demolition notice to Community Board 17 · Dig notices · Official portal records: demolition, dig, foundation
Owner's notices sent to the building
Notices to 1321's owner. Both rounds of notices meant for 1321 Flatbush's owner, demolition in January 2026 and the dig in June 2026, were addressed to Isolag Realty Corp at 1321 Flatbush Avenue, the building itself.
2024 deed. The deed that made Isolag the owner, recorded Nov. 1, 2024, lists Isolag Realty Corp at 1397 E 49th Street. The warning that work was starting next door went to the building, not to the address on the deed. Notices to 1321's owner · 2024 deed
Who filed, and who owns
The earthwork notifications for the dig were filed Sept. 9, 2026, by "Mordechai Waisbrod," with earthwork starting Sept. 10. Both answer "Yes" to "Does the work include Rock Blasting?" Same last name as the City Planning applicant, Marty Waisbrod. Nothing we found confirms they're the same person. Notifications list · Foundation filing · Dig filing
The ownership certification on the demolition job lists FF1632 LLC (Faigy Fischman) and JS1024 LLC (Judy Swimer), "Total Number of Owners Listed: 2," matching the 2024 deed for 2625 Bedford. Ownership certification · 2024 deed, 2625 Bedford
The building that fell
None of this explains why 1321 Flatbush fell. It shows how its owner looked after the people who lived there.
HPD, the city's housing agency, lists 98 open violations at 1321 Flatbush: 35 class A, 40 class B, 21 class C and 2 class I. Class C is the most serious, immediately hazardous. Two violations are for failing "to file a valid registration statement."
The class C violations include no adequate water for the sprinkler or standpipe (August 2024, and again April 27, 2026). "IMMEDIATELY PROVIDE A FIRE GUARD" (August 2024). Exposed electrical wires in the 3rd-floor hall (August 2024). Missing or defective self-closing doors (2022, 2024, March 2026 and April 2026). A roof scuttle hatch, an exit to the roof, nailed shut (2018 and 2020).
The last HPD registration expired Sept. 30, 2024. It listed FEMI Realty Corp, with Olufemi Falade as president, agent and site manager. Less than a month later, FEMI deeded the building to Isolag Realty Corp for "TEN dollars," with $0 in transfer tax. Olufemi Falade signed the deed, and signed the affidavit as both seller and buyer. People were living with these violations, some of them for years. HPD violations (raw city data) · HPD registration (raw city data) · 2024 deed
The inspector and the license
A special inspector is the inspector responsible for checking the dig. On this job, the special inspector on both the dig and the foundation filings is MD Islam, special inspection agency 8904. No inspection on either filing is marked "Certified." That can mean an inspection hasn't been signed off yet. Dig filing · Foundation filing
Withdrawal requests. On Nov. 12, the day after the tragedy, MD Islam filed to withdraw from the project: request WR000015699 for the dig and WR000015700 for the foundation. Both show "Plan Examiner Review." The inspector responsible for checking the dig filed to leave the day after the building next to it fell. WR000015699 · WR000015700
City license record. That same day, at the Nov. 12 press conference, Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said the special inspection agency's license was valid until 2029. As of Nov. 13, the city's own license records list Special Inspection Agency 8904, MD Islam, "RI CONSULTING SERVICES IN," with a status of "EXPIRED." The record shows no expiration date. The Commissioner said one thing on Nov. 12. The city's own records said another on Nov. 13. City license record (raw city data)
Where things stand
- All six filings on the nine-story job show "On Hold – Administrative Action."
- The dig and foundation work permits show "On Hold – Pending Withdrawal of Special Inspector." As of Nov. 13, the city's list of approved permits no longer includes them. Job summary, Nov. 13, 2026
- Nov. 12: the city orders 1321 Flatbush vacated.
- A complaint filed with the Buildings Department asked it to check whether the dig "contributed to the collapse." On Nov. 13, it was closed: "NO VIOLATION WARRANTED FOR COMPLAINT AT TIME OF INSPECTION... ongoing emergency operations in progress." The question was closed while emergency crews were still on site. Complaints
- Nov. 13: an immediate emergency order to lock and extend the site fence. Emergency order
Questions for engineers
We're not engineers, but surely there were some on this project who asked the questions we also have.
- The dig along 1321. Section O-O of the approved dig plans is the cut along 1321 Flatbush. It labels 1321's foundation "ADJACENT RUBBLE FOUNDATION" and shows no soldier piles, lagging or rakers there, the beams, boards and braces that hold back the ground on other sides of the hole. Was that enough, right next to the building that fell? Approved dig plans
- Underpinning. The soil report expected the buildings next door to need underpinning, shoring up their foundations. Neither of the special inspection lists filed with the city includes underpinning. Was any done? Soil report · Inspection list
- Rock blasting. The earthwork notices say "Yes" to rock blasting. The soil borings found fill and sand to 102 feet. What rock? Earthwork notification · Soil report
- The supermarket bonus. Zoning Resolution 63-30 makes City Planning certification "a precondition to the issuance of any building permit, including any foundation or alteration permit" for FRESH developments. The dig and foundation permits were issued Sept. 9. This application was first submitted Oct. 7 and logged as "Land Use Application Filed" on Nov. 9, two days before the tragedy. It is still "Not yet noticed." Did that rule apply to the Sept. 9 permits? City Planning supermarket-bonus application
- The closed complaint. The Nov. 11 complaint asked the Buildings Department to compare the approved dig plans with the work actually done. It was closed during emergency operations. Will it be reopened? Complaints
How we checked
It was important to us that everything here is accurate and true. Every fact on this page links to the public record it came from.
Checked twice. Most facts were confirmed in two separate passes through the primary records.
Checked once, straight from the primary document: the nine stories in the city's filing record; that the "Poor" wall faced the construction site; the inside-and-out inspection language; the underpinning line; that no monitoring reports appear in public filings; the fence permits; the Buildings Department objection on the demolition application; the demolition notice dates and their official portal records; where the notices for 1321's owner were mailed; the earthwork notifications; the ownership certification; Community Board 17's posted minutes and the problems on its minutes pages; the "On Hold" statuses; the vacate order; the closed complaint; and the emergency order.
Quoted, not re-verified. Official statements and press reports are quoted word for word and credited.
Numbers we added up ourselves. The $284,480 in penalties against N Tech Design of America is our total of the city's own penalty records for 2026.
Community Board 17's minutes. We opened the link behind every month on the board's three minutes pages, as they stood on Nov. 13, 2026, and saved copies of those pages in case files are added later. Months the board marks as cancelled aren't counted as missing.
What we redacted. One private homeowner's name, in the demolition notices and the dig notices, and two email addresses, in the ownership certification and the 1321 Flatbush deed. Nothing else was changed. Signatures and notary stamps stay: they're part of the public record. The full originals are public on the Buildings Department's official portal and ACRIS, the city's property records system.
What we didn't do. We didn't ask anyone named here for comment. We figured you were busy, or should be.
If anything here is wrong, send us a correction. Tell us what, and show us where you saw it. We check every one.
Also reported by
Other reporters dug into this too. Here's who, what they found, and where the record says something different.
Crain's New York Business, Nov. 12, 2026. Crain's caught the city rewriting a violation.
Violation before (Crain's) and after. On Nov. 12, hours after a Crain's reporter asked, the city rewrote its official violation for the site, number 111126C26-02559. Crain's captured the first version: "FULL STOP WORK ORDER DUE TO UNSAFE CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS CAUSING ADJACENT BUILDING (1321 FLATBUSH AVENUE) TO COLLAPSE TO GROUND AND ONTO CONSTRUCTION SITE CAUSING SEVERAL INJURIES AND FATALITIES." The new version: "FULL STOP WORK ORDER DUE TO COLLAPSE." "Unsafe construction operations": that's gone. The Buildings Department told Crain's the first version was entered "prematurely," was "inaccurate" and was "the result of human error." Crain's · The violation as it reads now · The city's raw data
Newsweek, Nov. 12, 2026. Reported the survey's "poor" rating, the Sept. 9 permits, the Fischman letters and LMW Engineering Group. Where the record differs: Newsweek says the old building on the site was demolished "last year." The record shows the demolition was completed in 2026, on May 8. Newsweek
Hunters Point Ledger, updated Nov. 12, 2026. Reported the survey, the underpinning paragraph, the monitoring plan and the lack of lateral support along 1321. Where the record differs: it says the dig was "permitted 10/15/2026." The record shows the first permit on Sept. 9, 2026. It says a demolition permit is "not clear." The record shows demolition job B01285846, with permits issued in March 2026. Hunters Point Ledger
Why this matters to us
The Lay Out has been telling you to get in the room for a long time. This is why.
Community boards are one of the earliest places where decisions about Brooklyn get made, before cranes go up, before licenses are approved, before change feels inevitable. Almost every record on this page was public before the tragedy. Community Board 17 is where this neighborhood was supposed to get to ask about them. Before a building comes down, not after.
What we said this year, in order:
Jan. 6, 2026. The Lay Out has always been about taking up space, in parks, on streets, in culture and in community. Some of the most important space to take up isn't visible. It's civic. If we're not in those rooms, decisions still get made. Just without us.
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Feb. 2, 2026. A story of what can happen when we show up, and why community boards matter. Their meetings are public. You can show up, listen and be part of the process. That's how neighborhoods get protected.
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Feb. 5, 2026. We don't have to just imagine. Governance is the work. Applications closed the next day. Our ability to participate stays open.
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The next round of community board applications is due Feb. 8, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. We'll follow up with more on how to apply.
Show up
Help
Brooklyn Org. Our friends at Brooklyn Org and the National Grid Foundation are each committing $25,000 to seed the Mayor's Fund relief efforts. Two ways to help:
- Give to the Mayor's Fund Emergency Relief Fund. The link is in Brooklyn Org's Instagram bio: instagram.com/bklynorg
- Donate supplies at the office of Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, 1312 Flatbush Avenue. Check which items are needed first.
Brooklyn Org's full statement: brooklyn.org/news
All sources
Every link on this page, in one place.
Files we posted
| Record |
What it shows |
| Soil report |
Nov. 21, 2025. Ten stories; buildings next door "would need underpinning"; inspect neighbors inside and out |
| Approved dig plans |
Approved March 22, 2026. Three stories; safety limits on sheet SOE-200; Section O-O along 1321 |
| City filing record |
Same dig filing: nine stories, 64 apartments, first permit Sept. 9, 2026 |
| Preconstruction survey, March 5, 2026 |
15 key pages: 1321's north wall "Poor," outside only |
| Survey cover letter |
Quiver's "written consent" line |
| Buildings Department objection on the demolition application |
"Incorrectly answered NO" about the masonry building next door |
| Demolition notices, Jan. 14, 2026 |
Letters to neighbors, including 1321's owner at 1321 itself (redacted) |
| Demolition notice to Community Board 17 |
Letter to the community board, Jan. 14, 2026 |
| Notices to 1321's owner (dig notices, June 10, 2026) |
Letters to Community Board 17 and neighbors (redacted) |
| Official portal record: demolition notices |
"Created On" Sept. 11, 2025 |
| Official portal record: dig notices |
"Created On" Feb. 5, 2026 |
| Official portal record: foundation filing |
"Created On" dates for the foundation filing |
| Ownership certification |
Two owners: FF1632 LLC and JS1024 LLC (redacted) |
| Notifications list |
Earthwork notifications, Sept. 9, 2026 |
| Earthwork notification, foundation |
"Yes" to rock blasting |
| Earthwork notification, dig |
"Yes" to rock blasting |
| Special inspector, foundation filing |
MD ISLAM; no inspection marked "Certified"; no underpinning listed |
| Special inspector, dig filing |
MD ISLAM; no inspection marked "Certified" |
| Withdrawal request WR000015699 |
Filed Nov. 12, 2026, the day after the tragedy |
| Withdrawal request WR000015700 |
Filed Nov. 12, 2026, the day after the tragedy |
| Job summary, Nov. 13, 2026 |
Every filing and permit on hold |
| Violation 111126C26-02559, as it reads now |
"FULL STOP WORK ORDER DUE TO COLLAPSE" |
| Emergency order, Nov. 13, 2026 |
Lock and extend the site fence |
| 2024 deed, 1321 Flatbush |
FEMI to Isolag for "TEN dollars"; Isolag at 1397 E 49th Street (redacted) |
| 2024 deed, 2625 Bedford |
FF1632 LLC and JS1024 LLC buy the site for $3,990,000 |
| Community Board 17 minutes pages: General Board, Nov. 13, 2026 |
What was posted, and what wasn't |
| Community Board 17 minutes pages: Land Use, Nov. 13, 2026 |
What was posted, and what wasn't |
| Community Board 17 minutes pages: Commerce, Nov. 13, 2026 |
What was posted, and what wasn't |
Outside sources
City data links open as raw text. The line next to each says what's in it.
- Mayor's press conference transcript, Nov. 11, 2026: what the Fire Department, the Buildings Commissioner and the Mayor said the night of the tragedy
- CBS New York, Nov. 13, 2026: the names and ages of the people we lost
- Buildings Department complaint 3A53231: the stop-work violations, March 20 and April 23, 2026
- Buildings Department complaints, 1321 Flatbush and 2625 Bedford: the vacate order and the complaint closed Nov. 13
- City penalty records: N Tech's 2026 penalties
- Buildings Department official portal, job B01330433: the nine-story job, its filings, inspectors, withdrawals, fence permits and the full survey
- Buildings Department official portal, demolition job B01285846: the demolition filing and its documents
- City filing data, dig filing: nine stories, 64 apartments, first permit Sept. 9, 2026
- City filing data, building application: owner, architect and filing representative
- City Planning supermarket-bonus application, 2025K0434: nine stories, a 12,009 square foot food store
- FF 1632 LLC authorization letter: "a fifty percent (50%) owner"
- FRESH application form: the building City Planning was asked to approve
- HPD violations, 1321 Flatbush: 98 open violations
- HPD registration, 1321 Flatbush and contacts: registration expired Sept. 30, 2024
- Buildings Department violations, 2625 Bedford: the violation as it reads now
- City license record, agency 8904: license listed "EXPIRED"
- NYC Charter §2800(d)(22): community boards must post the past twelve months of minutes
- Public Officers Law §106: minutes posted within two weeks of each meeting
- Community Board 17 General Board minutes · Land Use · Commerce: the board's own minutes pages
- The New York Times, Nov. 12, 2026: Community Board 17's chair on the developer
- Crain's, Nov. 12, 2026: the violation before it was rewritten
- Newsweek, Nov. 12, 2026
- Hunters Point Ledger
- Community Board 17 meeting, Nov. 18: details and how to join
- Brooklyn Org: relief efforts and how to help
- Nov. 12 press conference video (CBS New York): the Commissioner on the license, the Mayor on the investigation
- ACRIS deeds: 2625 Bedford, document 2024061700143001; 1321 Flatbush, document 2024102900549001 (both posted above)
