Flatbush building collapse raises questions about rapid development pace
A three-story building collapse in Flatbush that killed eight people has intensified local worries about the speed of new construction and its impact on the community.
A three-story residential building at 1321 Flatbush Avenue collapsed into an adjacent excavation site on Wednesday, killing six adults and two children. City officials are still investigating the cause and are reviewing 100 other sites linked to the construction firms involved.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city will hold any responsible parties fully accountable and noted that the investigation is ongoing. He declined to comment further on residents’ broader concerns about development speed.
City records indicate that the developer of the neighboring property at 2625 Bedford Avenue has a history of violations, and the owner of the collapsed building, Olufemi Falade, faced 98 open housing-code citations for issues ranging from unsafe wiring to lack of smoke detectors.
Local residents expressed frustration over the rapid pace of new projects in the predominantly Afro-Caribbean neighborhood. >“There was a new construction put up near my building, and all I could think was, ‘That could have been us,’” said resident Brandice Taylor.
Community Board 17 chair Monzurat Oni noted that the developer failed to attend a public meeting in September and emphasized concerns about building quality, neighborhood character, and equitable distribution of new units. >“We have a housing shortage, I am not anti-development, anti-old buildings. There's concern about the speed of them and the quality of construction,” Oni said.
Urban planner George Janes cautioned that zoning changes allowing larger buildings can produce unintended consequences, adding that the area’s zoning permits demolition of existing structures for larger replacements.
Addrana Montgomery, senior staff attorney at TakeRoot Justice, called for a balanced approach that listens to community input. >“We need to really listen to the people who live there. What are they saying? And I don't think that is happening,” she said.
The incident has intensified calls for the city to ensure new housing is added equitably and safely across Brooklyn.