CHELSEA — The street where a vacant building was gutted by a massive fire will be closed to car traffic on and off until late November, according to an aid to the local city councilman.
A contractor and FDNY fire marshals are working to build scaffolding to help shore up the 17th Street structure which was severely damaged in the blaze, according to Matthew Green, legislative aid to Councilman Corey Johnson.
Though it took hours for the fire to be extinguished and it reignited the next day, the building is not at risk of collapse, according to Department of Buildings records.
The structural reinforcement should be completed by Saturday, at which point the street will reopen to car traffic, Green said.
Then between Nov. 10 and 24 the street will be closed off again to allow the contractor to bring in equipment to remove the debris, Green said.
It's not yet clear if the building, which had been vacated for renovations, will have to be demolished, according to Alex Schnell, a spokesman for the Department of Buildings.
OTL Enterprises, the contractor involved, could not be reached for comment immediately.
Johnson's office will be hosting a meeting with all the city agencies involved in the recovery next Thursday for residents who want more information about the site.
It will be held in the evening, but they're still working hammering out a specific time and place.
