By Sarina Trangle
Faced with court cases, the landlord of a Woodhaven building that buckled last spring said he is weeks away from repairing the structure.
The roof of 78-19 Jamaica Ave. collapsed April 12, sending bricks and debris tumbling onto the street and sidewalk below. The city Department of Buildings’ website noted the site housed a shuttered furniture shop, which had more than 30 open violations with the department, another eight with the Environmental Control Board and an evacuation order to vacate the second floor just before the structure fell apart.
The cave-in damaged part of the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps next door, blocking an emergency exit and kitchen used by the senior center that rented from the corps. The Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Senior Center has since relocated, saddling the corps with financial strain, according to the executive director of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation, MariaThomson.
George Kochabe, who owns the building through 78-19 Jamaica Avenue LLC, hired Casella Construction to fix the building before the collapse on April 12.
When the roof caved, it injured a construction contractor named Hector Vergel, according to a civil complaint his lawyers filed against the LLC in June.
The court documents claim Vergel was rendered disabled and internally and externally injured during the incident.
Six months later, the Fire Department issued a criminal summons charging Kochabe with failing to comply with the DOB.
His 78-19 Jamaica Avenue LLC is still cited for most of the violations that were present last spring. The company has racked up $11,000 in fines for the eight unresolved Environmental Control Board infractions and owes another $14,430 for prior violations, according to the DOB website.
Just a few weeks ago, attorneys for the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps initiated a lawsuit against the landlord, according to state Assemblyman Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven).
The assemblyman said the lawyers hoped to spur Kochabe into promptly making repairs.
Miller said Kochabe recently hired architects and appeared to be working to stabilize the crumbling structure.
“He paid the fines that he had outstanding,” Miller said. “He’s at this point, taking the right steps to repair the building so we have to give him the opportunity to do that.”
Kochabe said he intends to begin a construction project to replace the roof and second floor within a few weeks.
“We’ll be starting very, very soon,” he said.
As of press time, the DOB website said it had not received demolition or building plans from Kochabe’s team, but it has issued permits for a construction fence and sidewalk shed at 78-19 Jamaica Ave.
Fixes could not come soon enough for the senior center, according to Patricia Critelli, the center’s program manager.
Critelli said the center has temporarily relocated to the American Legion Post 118, at 89-02 91st St., but the space is much smaller and further from public transportation routes.
Despite offering a shuttle service, the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Senior Center counts about 30 fewer attendees. Some find it too inconvenient, while others feel uncomfortable in the tighter quarters, according to Critelli.
“There’s nothing — no trains, no buses, no stores,” she said. “If there’s anything that can be done to get this guy moving and fix this building, it would be a God-send.”
Reach reporter Sarina Trangle at 718-260-4546 or by e-mail at strangle@cnglocal.com.
