Carroll Gardens Home Cracks Due to Neighbor's Construction

Construction at a Union Street lot has caused structural cracks to two neighboring buildings, according to notices left by the Department of Buildings outside both locations. Residents of at least one home have already been forced to vacate.

First reported Wednesday morning on Pardon Me for Asking, blogger Katia Kelly observed a Stop Work Order at 467 Union Street, where excavation work began in June. Meanwhile, an Order to Vacate has been issued at 465 Union Street after structural cracks formed. Cracks also formed at 463 Union Street, which houses a daycare center. But that building has yet to be vacated.

Once featured as a House of the Day on Brownstoner, the previous 1,930-square-foot home at 467 Union Street was built in 1915 and later "marketed as a tear-down for $750,000," according to the site. It eventually sold for $377,000 in March 2012 to John and Jill Bouratoglou of Bouratoglou Architect PC.

The couple, who had worked together and separately for firms including Gene Kaufman Architect PC, Paul Rudolph Architects, STV Inc., and Hom and Goldman before forming Bouratoglou Architect PC, filed permits for a one-family, four-story house and began construction over the summer.

At this time it is unclear whether the cracks were caused due to improper underpinning and shoring by the hired contractor or if the architectural foundation design was inherently flawed.

But we can assume at least one thing: The displaced residents at 465 Union Street can't be happy right now.