Building Collapse in Chelsea Exposes Illegal Hotel

In downtown NY’s hot Chelsea neighborhood the facade of a four-story building partially collapsed this afternoon as winds gusted to more than 50mph. The FDNY said that one firefighter had suffered minor injures at the scene of the collapse.

The front facade on the top floors of the building, on Eighth Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets, was pulled back unveiling an illegal real estate operation. Tourists had been staying in several units of the residential building (the lower floor is home to a Muscle Maker Grill).

UPDATE:

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn surveyed the damage. She told NY1 that all the tenants were tourists and that she was going to check whether it was an illegal hotel.

The building has had numerous violations, including one in August for doing a two-story extension without a permit.