49 Crown Street, Tivoli Towers

Façade Failure

I remember my phone ringing on a Friday evening and immediately thinking, “This won’t be good news.” It was November 4th, 2022. I was correct.
Skyline Access LLC. Rope Access Team was being called to respond to a partial façade collapse in Brooklyn. The severity was unclear, but our team started to mobilize immediately. As is usually the case, we briefed off what we were seeing on the news coverage and spotty phone calls as we prepped gear and got the team ready.
Nobody knew the extent of the collapse or the condition of the remaining façade. Thankfully, this did not make a full ground fall, and nobody was injured. When we arrived on site, it was evident that this needed to be addressed immediately.
The team assessed the current conditions. We collaborated with the NYCDOB and FDNY, as well as the crew from Skyline Restoration, who was on hand to facilitate repairs when safe to do so. We then devised a plan to install safety netting and other stabilization methods. Once the area was deemed stable enough to approach, our Rope Team accessed the work area and installed a high-performance retention netting system. Once we were able to get a better look, it was determined that other areas would need to be addressed as well. It was a good thing that they were.
These issues are part of an infrastructure that is inevitably aging around (and more importantly) above us in NYC. The costs related to building maintenance and repairs are not cheap. We are all very aware. However, the cost of these unfortunate incidents can be huge. Both financially as well as the potentially greater costs.

Bryan Prekopa
President, Skyline Access LLC