It’s not only rain that’s been falling on our streets. Early Saturday morning July 8, a metal I-beam fell from the scaffolding enshrouding 70 Mulberry Street. The scaffolding was erected a week ago by DCAS (department of citywide services) contractors at the order of the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB). According to witnesses the falling beam narrowly missed a car which had been pulling into a parking space, A local resident moved the beam from the roadway and reported the incident to 911. It appears the beam may have been dislodged by a truck backing but local resident Joe Chan recalled seeing a video shoot the night before when “actors” were “hanging from beams”.
As many will recall 70 Mulberry Street was the site of the former PS23 before it was decommissioned in 1975 and turned over to community use a few years later. In January of 2020 a devastating fire struck as the community started celebrations for the Chinese / Lunar New Year.
A new design for the restoration was unveiled in May and DCAS is currently in the procurement process, but restoration work is not scheduled to begin until fall of 2024.