Someone at the Department of Buildings must have finally tackled that moldering to-do list this weekend, having just now issued a partial vacate order to the long-crumbling basement of a McKibbin Lofts building.

The vacate order, which was served on Friday to 255 McKibbin, cites several violations revolving around the general theme of "illegal conversion to artist studios," with bathrooms, kitchens and gas lines installed where God and the original 1936 contractors never intended any to exist.

Across the street, several residents of 248 McKibbin were also abruptly evicted in March 2013. An anonymous source described his sudden extraction thusly:

The unit I lived in included the basement area. It's where the guy that had the lease would have local bands play, and sometimes he'd charge money. He had a makeshift stage and mattresses pressed against the high concrete walls to suppress noise, and maybe for ambiance. During the little get-togethers people would smoke cigarettes and throw the butts on the ground. I could see the entire place going up in flames. But that changed at 248 when they kicked us out at the end of the lease and tore up the entire unit. At 8 a.m. the day after the lease ended, the goons started to take apart the bed I was sleeping in. Our old unit was completely remodeled and I think it's just one big room from the old basement up through what used to be the first floor.

According to the Lofts' very real Wikipedia page, only the 4th and 5th floors have a certificate of occupancy as of September 2012. It continues:

The remaining floors have been submitted for inclusion in the 2010 Loft Law. This process was initiated by the building management. In February 2012 most residents of the 1st (technical basement) 2nd and third floors received copies of the Narrative Statement outlined in the Loft Law. On July 9, 2012 the loft board revoked registration for units 101, 102, 103, 109 and 110 due to those units being located in the basement.

The sign posted to the wall reads that "the Department of Buildings has determined that conditions in this premises are immediately perilous to life." Residents, if you don't find a way of incorporating that mellifluous bit of poetry into your street art or interpretive Capoeira routine, you have failed your brethren.

No word yet on whether this will impact plans for the Lit Lounge hellion expected to be spawned in the fall, but we're looking into it with gusto and will update when we hear more.

