Residents frustrated as damaged staircase remains unrepaired at Bed-Stuy brownstone
The crumbling front steps have been an issue since February, according to tenants, who say little progress has been made beyond the placement of a warning cone near the damaged area.
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Residents of a Bedford-Stuyvesant apartment building say a severely damaged staircase has become a daily safety hazard, months after they first reported the problem.
The crumbling front steps have been an issue since February, according to tenants, who say little progress has been made beyond the placement of a warning cone near the damaged area.
Residents said they navigate the broken staircase every day and are increasingly concerned about the risk of injury. Several Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) violations have been issued for the staircase and other conditions at the building, but tenants say repairs have yet to materialize.
The condition is especially challenging for older residents, tenants said. They reported that seniors living in the building struggle to safely enter and exit while carrying groceries, laundry and other belongings.
Even younger and more mobile residents face difficulties using the stairs. The damaged section has forced some to carefully maneuver along the side of the staircase to avoid unstable portions of the structure.
“You step and your foot is going to go like this,” tenant Tyechia said while demonstrating how someone could lose their footing. “They have to do something. Anybody could come down and the step could go down.”
According to HPD, the agency issued a violation for the condition and contacted an emergency repair contractor. However, HPD said the property owner did not grant permission for the work to proceed. The agency said it is exploring available options to ensure the repairs are completed.
Residents note that the violation has remained open since April and question why the issue remains unresolved months later.
“This is July,” one tenant said. “I don’t know how long it takes to actually get the word out or what needs to be approved. The violations are there. The work is not done. Who do you call? I’m just lucky Channel 12 came by to see what’s going on.”
News 12 reached out to two ownership entities connected to the property, JOE Central Brooklyn LLC AND BRIDGESTREET LLC, as well as the building’s management company, Concord LLC, but had not heard back as of Monday night.
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