Construction Worker Killed In Fall from 124 Columbia Heights

The Brooklyn Paper reports that a construction worker, whose name has not been released pending notification to his family, died Friday morning, February 11 after falling several floors at the construction site at 124 Columbia Heights (the address is not given in the Brooklyn Paper story, but is available from the NYC Buildings site, which is linked in the on line version of the story). Another worker at the site is quoted as saying the man was not wearing a harness at the time he fell.

124 Columbia Heights is a former Jehovah’s Witnesses dorm that is, according to the Brooklyn Paper story, being renovated for use as luxury housing by Vincent Viola, a billionaire developer. The story notes that KBE NY LLC, general contractor for the site, has been fined $10,000 twice within six months for “failure to maintain safety measures” and that other complaints have been lodged that led to a stop work order having been issued last April.

Addendum: a big tip of the BHB hat to ever alert reader Andrew Porter for supplying the photo of the construction advisory poster for 124 Columbia Heights. It seems the anticipated completion date of November 2021 was a bit over-optimistic.

Share this Story:

, , ,

  • Jorale-man

    The Wikipedia article notes: “He was for several weeks President Donald Trump’s nominee for United States Secretary of the Army, before withdrawing from consideration.”

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nPOzGeyaw Arch Stanton

    Reposted from OTW:
    It is a tragedy and sadly, hardly anyone will notice. There will be no massive parade, no service at a cathedral, no speech from the mayor, as we recently saw in the deaths of two NYC police officers. Yet construction work is more dangerous than law enforcement and more necessary for the functioning of modern society. Where would we be without buildings, roads and all else that is built, renovated and repaired?

    Who are the real heroes?

  • Andrew Porter
  • NHJudd@yahoo.com

    One does not diminish the other.

  • CassieVonMontague

    He also sold 8 Montague Terrace to a shell corporation for $25.5 million.

    He is being sued by tenants in 2 Pierrepont for violating rent-stabilization laws. (Coincidently, Kushner is being sued for the same thing by other Brooklyn Heights tenants. All buildings were former Brooklyn Law dorms.)

    He sued Brooklyn Law School because the school didn’t evict a law professor living in 2 Pierrepont.

    He withdrew his nomination for Secretary of the Army because his businesses had a lot of government contracts. This was early in the administration, before they knew how easy it was to pull off this grift.

    The eventual Secretary of the Army Mark Esper became Secretary of Defence after Mattis resigned over troop withdrawal from Syria. Esper was fired as Secretary of Defense by tweet after the election. Reports at the time said he disagreed with Trump over deploying active-duty troops in American cities.

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nPOzGeyaw Arch Stanton

    Then why don’t we see the same recognition for the sacrifice made by all those who put their lives on the line for the benefit of all?

  • B.

    Probably because there’s a difference between workplace accidents and murder. We do not hear much about funerals for physicians and nurses who died of Covid while doing their jobs either. All deaths I suppose ought to diminish us, but murder, whether of police officers or, say, of those trapped in the Twin Towers, stands apart.

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nPOzGeyaw Arch Stanton

    Dead is dead if it’s by a fall, a disease or murder, its all the same to the victim. Murder is the number one, known risk, in law enforcement. So, though tragic, it is no surprise when some officers are murdered. The physicians, nurses and any hospital staff also take on a known risk and die in the line of duty as happens in countless other professions. How about taxi drivers, cashiers, delivery workers, etc. they also run a high risk of being murdered on the job? I see no difference in their deaths vs a police officer, other than a lot of Hype.

  • http://www.yotamzohar.com StudioBrooklyn

    Way more dangerous to be the spouse of a police officer, with that 40% domestic abuse rate they quietly bring home while complaining disingenuously about the dangers of policing.

    Perhaps not such a great fate, either, to be a BIPOC suspect or, as we sometimes see, person merely existing near police activity. “Bang bang you’re dead,” as the American justice system famously goes.