News

Jan 15, 2024

UPDATE Wakefield: Worker Falls 30 Ft, DOB Issues Violations to Entity Already Sued by Burned Bronx Workers

A construction worker fell 30 feet from the 4th floor of a construction site in

A construction worker fell 30 feet from the 4th floor of a construction site in the Wakefield section of The Bronx and has been hospitalized, according to NYC Department of Buildings (DOB). Department officials added that safety violations were identified at the site run by BE Bronx Builders LLC, which is owned by the Stagg Group. The latter, along with Mark Stagg and BE Bronx Builders LLC, was hit with a lawsuit last week by three construction workers burned in a separate Bronx construction accident on May 15 in Williamsbridge.

DOB officials said the latest accident in Wakefield occurred on Thursday June 1. "DOB personnel were routed to 4180 Carpenter Ave., a five-story building under construction in The Bronx, after receiving reports that a worker had fallen from the building's fourth floor," a DOB spokesperson said.

"At the scene, DOB inspectors determined that while the worker was sitting on a vertical safety netting system on the 4th floor, the netting broke, and the worker fell approximately 30 feet to ground level," the spokesperson added. "The worker was transported to a local hospital for treatment."

DOB officials said that following the incident, violations were issued after inspectors discovered that there were no design drawings for the vertical safety netting, which was also not properly installed as is required by City Code. The department also placed a Partial Stop Work Order on the site for all construction activities.

Norwood News contacted the City's fire department for information on the injured worker. An FDNY official said the department received a call regarding the accident at 12.32 in the afternoon on the day in question and that one patient was transported to Jacobi Medical Center in Morris Park. Their condition was not specified.

Norwood News spoke to an older female resident of East 232nd Street in Wakefield, located in the vicinity of the construction site, on Tuesday, June 6, who said, "I heard that he was working and he leaned on something here, and it went right down with him. Yes, that's what I heard so far." She then asked, "Did he pass?" [Norwood News has not received any information to suggest the victim died, only that he was seriously injured.]

The woman continued, "My cousin, he must have been outside in the driveway here, and he saw the person… and he saw the person going down."

While visiting the site on June 6, Norwood News saw a number of documents affixed to the building, including a stop work order dated May 11, 2023, a stop work rescind order May 2, 2023, a summons dated June 1, 2023 and a scaffold safety notice.

As reported on Oct. 1, 2021, building applications were filed with NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) for construction of a 5-story, mixed-use building at the Carpenter Avenue site, which is located between East 232nd and East 233rd Streets in Wakefield. Mark Stagg of RYTY Home Builders LLC was listed as the owner behind the applications.

According to the website federalpay.org, Ryty Home Builders LLC is a limited liability company (LLC) located at 1763 Pitman Avenue in Wakefield, The Bronx, and received a coronavirus-related PPP loan from the SBA of $183,750 in February 2021.

Pincusco reported that Stagg Group signed a $24.5M construction loan with Valley National for a 92-unit project at the 4180 Carpenter Avenue site in January 2023.

The building under construction is anticipated to be completed by the summer of 2024 according to a sign affixed to the construction site. The general contractor is BE Bronx Builders LLC and according to the same sign, the owner is Carpenter Avenue Corner Associates, LLC, also located at the same 1763 Pitman Avenue address as Ryty Home Builders LLC. Carpenter Avenue Corner Associates, LLC is the holder of a mortgage on the property worth in excess of $21 million according to City records.

According to buildzoom.com, Be Bronx Builders LLC, also with an address at 1763 Pitman Avenue in Wakefield, The Bronx, is owned by Mark Stagg, and holds a general contractor registered license and three other licenses according to the New York license board. BE Bronx Builders, LLC also has an address at 4453 White Plains Road in Wakefield, The Bronx.

According to NYC Department of Buildings, Joseph Martino of BE Bronx Builders LLC holds an active superintendent of construction license since 2016, which is set to expire on March 3, 2025. BE Bronx Builders satisfied the requirements of an SSM course on Jan. 27, 2022 and an OSHA course on Dec. 23, 2014, according to DOB records.

As reported, Mark Stagg, Stagg Group and BE Bronx Builders LLC are being sued by three migrant construction workers who were seriously burned on Monday, May 15, at a construction site accident located at 737 East Gun Hill Road in the Williamsbridge section of The Bronx.

Norwood News has attempted via different channels to contact Mark Stagg, the Stagg Group and BE Bronx Builders LLC for comment in connection with this story. We did not receive a response. We also called Consolidated Scaffolding, Briarcliff Manor, NY, for comment on the story. A representative said they had no comment.

"DOB in Your Community" is an event organized for June 24, by NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) Community Engagement Unit to provide assistance with various matters relating to construction for small properties and businesses. See attached flier for more information.

District 11 City Councilman Eric Dinowitz later issued a statement on the accident, saying, "This tragic incident highlights the importance of funding agencies to ensure safety measures are in place at construction sites."

He added, "We are currently fighting in City Hall to secure funding for these agencies to help keep us safe. It is crucial that construction sites are held accountable for safety violations and that measures are put in place to ensure the safety of workers and the public."

Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible.Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7.The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts.The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students.As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to [email protected] or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.

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