PARK SLOPE — A building in danger of collapsing along a tony stretch of Sixth Avenue forced the evacuation of tenants Thursday afternoon, authorities said.
Emergency crews responded to the four-story brownstone at 98 Sixth Ave., at the corner of Prospect Place, about 11 a.m. after a report of structural instability, FDNY officials said.
A contractor who had performed work on the property said the building houses four families and that they were all eventually allowed back into the brownstone after inspectors deemed the property safe, officials said.
The contractor, Leno Dumani, and landlord William Oldham said the 1860s building suffered water damage from the effects of Hurricane Irene last year, forcing the family in the top unit to fix leaks from the roof and windows.
"We made two or three complaints to the city, and they came out and said there's nothing wrong," Oldham said, noting the family took out a $30,000 loan to make the repairs. "There was some parting in the mortar. They're not asking people to abandon the building."
Department of Buildings records did not show any violations or other issues regarding the building's stability.
"We did not vacate the building," a DOB spokeswoman said. "However, department inspectors did find issues with the building’s rear façade and as a safety precaution vacated the building’s rear yard.
"The Department also issued a violation to the building owner, William Oldham, for failing to maintain the building."
Oldham said he planned to erect scaffolding at the building in the event of a collapse.
