UPPER EAST SIDE — Deterioration is likely what caused bricks from a building facade to rain down on East 64th Street, city officials said, but since that problem doesn't generally cause "this catastrophic of a failure," the investigation is ongoing.
The Department of Buildings and the Office of Emergency Management held a meeting at the intersection of East 62nd Street and First Avenue on Friday afternoon to update the public about the incident, which has kept surrounding streets closed all week.
Engineers think that the substance that bind the bricks to the building at 340 E. 64th St. has deteriorated over the building's lifetime, but the investigation to find the cause behind the collapse is still ongoing, said Department of Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler.
The owner of the 35-story building was in compliance and had a repair and maintenance program for the building's facade, according to Chandler.
He said the building was build in 1966, and the bricks are likely original.
Crews have been working to secure the building around the clock and have installed netting to catch any bricks that fall, Chandler said.
Scaffolding will remain until the city has investigated and made the entire building safe, he added.
Five apartments in the building have been vacated. A total of eight people have been put up in a hotel, according to Frank McCarton, the deputy commissioner of OEM.
As soon as the area is deemed safe, they will be allowed back in, he said.
The goal is to reopen the streets by Monday morning rush hour, according to officials.
Update: Demolition crew on site & is about to begin work on 63 St bldg. #UpperEastSide #UES #NYC pic.twitter.com/q5i7F93t6w
— NYPD 19th Precinct (@NYPD19Pct) December 11, 2015
