Several families in a seven-story Manhattan apartment building were ordered to evacuate last night after pieces of the building’s facade fell off, officials said.
No injuries were reported in the 8 p.m. incident at the landmark building at 655 Sixth Ave. in Chelsea, where parts of decorative pillars crumbled into a 5-foot tall pile on the street. There were also reports of small cracks in the facade.
“I was celebrating Christmas with my family from Long Island and then we got a knock from the Fire Department,” said Eva Laboz, a sixth-floor resident who, along with her neighbors, won’t be able to get back to her apartment until at least tomorrow, when engineers will finish determining the extent of the damage.
“We’re getting a hotel for the night,” she added. “Hopefully, we’ll be back here tomorrow.”
“It’s just an inconvenience on Christmas night,” she said.
Built in 1887, the block-long building on Sixth Avenue was originally a department store, but was converted into condos in recent years.
Records show the Buildings Department in February inspected the facade and declared it safe.