Second Avenue subway construction is being blamed for the sudden evacuation of residents at an already teetering Upper East Side building this weekend.
About 18 people at 1772 Second Avenue – near 93rd Street — had to be relocated when Department of Buildings inspectors discovered cracks in the façade they feared could lead to collapse, officials said.
It is unknown when they will be allowed back in the six-story walkup.
“Saturday we were on site to escort tenants between 9:00 a.m. and noon in and out of the building so they could get personal belongings because they’d be out of their apartments for a while,” said Seth Donlin, spokesman for the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
“It was their last chance to grab their stuff until they’re able to come back.”
Business owners and neighbors say vibrations from the never-ending construction on the MTA Second Avenue mega-project definitely played a role in causing the evacuation.
“Absolutely, without a doubt, it was the construction,” said Eddie Crowe, who owns Crowe’s Nest bar down the block from the apartment building.
“Just last week they had to install sheds over some buildings on my block because debris was falling off the façade.”
Marcelo Ronchini, who owns nearby Nina’s Argentinian Pizzeria, said, “There’s no coincidence here. Buildings have been suffering all along the construction route.”
The MTA is “cooperating with the Department of Buildings and continue to closely monitor vibrations, which remain at acceptable levels,” said spokesman Jeremy Soffin.
Building records show a long list of complaints about the walk-up, including one from 1989 that says the structure is leaning eight inches to the north — a serious structural problem that was never rectified.
A January 2008 complaint said the building was shaking and vibrating, which affected its stability, the records show.
Donlin said he was unsure how many people were placed in family shelters or hotels and how many are staying with family or friends.
Inspectors are still looking in to the cause of cracks in the building’s façade, said DOB spokeswoman Carly Sullivan.
Additional reporting by Perry Chiramonte