Ideal Food Basket on Nostrand Avenue issued full vacate order
The DOB says steel beams and welded jack posts had been put in to the cellar and first floor without permits, creating unsafe conditions.
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The Ideal Food Basket supermarket on Nostrand Avenue closed without warning and the building was given a full vacate warning on Friday, leading to a steady stream of Crown Heights residents only learning the news after they showed up to do shopping on Monday.
"That is crazy, oh my God," reacted one person as they stopped to read the signs.
"That sucks," agreed their friend.
The New York City Department of Buildings tells News 12 it responded to a 311 complaint alleging work was being done without a permit. When they got there, inspectors found steel beams and welded jack posts had been put into both the cellar and first floor without permits, which the DOB says created unsafe conditions in the building.
"It seemed safe inside. When you walk in, it was clean and it was good," said Zaida Louden, who lived in the area.
"You're just going to the store, going to get some groceries and stuff - you never really think, 'Oh yeah, the whole building's gonna come crashing down,'" added Zavier Brathwaite, another neighbor who had hoped to grab a few groceries.
The DOB says it issued both a partial stop-work order for all steel work and shoring at the building, as well as the full vacate order.
To get it lifted, the building's owner needs to hire a professional engineer to submit a report on its structural stability, and then a DOB inspector needs to go back to the building and determine it safe for occupancy.
"I trust the city to look after things like that, so knowing that they're closed right now tells me that the city's on top of it," said Audrey Granger, who lives two blocks away.
Other neighbors also told News 12 they would have no problems going back inside if and when the store reopens. Although Brathwaite did admit, "I'm going to ease my way in next time, because you never know."
While there are other supermarkets within three or four blocks depending on the direction, many of the neighbors do not have cars, so they say any extra distance to carry groceries becomes a big deal.
"(It's) very inconvenient, so we need for it to reopen, but first of all, it has to be safe," said Louden.
"The thing about living in New York is that structural integrity of a building ranks just below convenience," joked Frank Spiro, who also lived in the area, "so I would absolutely still go there."
News 12 attempted to reach out to building ownership, but has not been able to get in touch.
