Developer Avoided Stricter Oversight Before Fatal Building Collapse

New York City officials are investigating whether a Brooklyn developer’s plans to expand a building project played a part in the collapse of a neighbouring building in Flatbush. The collapse killed eight people, injured 18 and displaced dozens; experts say the project’s initial approval as a smaller building meant stricter safety oversight may not have applied.

The city approved a three-storey, eight-unit project at 2625 Bedford Avenue in March 2026, while filings show the developer had sought permission for a nine-storey building with 64 flats, community space and a grocery shop. That larger plan had not been approved by the time the neighbouring building collapsed on Wednesday. Projects taller than seven storeys require a site safety coordinator, and records listed none for the site. The developer had also been issued a stop-work order in March after inspectors found demolition without required overhead protection; an April inspection found the building had been demolished despite the order.