LIRR staircase closed due to feared building collapse

From Bayside Patch:

The Long Island Rail Road has closed one of the staircases at its Bayside station after an adjacent building was deemed to be in danger of collapsing, community leaders said.

The city's Department of Buildings forced the site's owner, Rani nail salon, to vacate the property, which is located at 41-17 Bell Blvd. next to the LIRR train station.

Bayside leaders said they were concerned not only that the property could collapse, but also that shutting down one of the staircases from the train station to Bell Boulevard could lead to a crowded platform.

"It's dangerous because, theoretically, it could collapse as people are coming up or down the stairs," said Frank Skala, a Community Board 11 member and president of the East Bayside Homeowners Association. "And if that entrance is closed off, then there could be more pushing and shoving on the platform. In the evenings, people come off the train two or three dozen at a time."

According to the DOB's website, the Rani building was vacated following a late August inspection, which found that the property's structural stability was in question due to cracked beams in its basement. In addition, two walls were found to be cracked and shoring had been completed at the site without a permit.