285 Cornelia Street, Brooklyn, NY 11221

285 Cornelia Street is a three-story, six-unit New Law tenement building located in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Built in 1906 and currently owned by Benjamin Cavicchio, this century-old structure has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues in recent years. Most notably, in 2021, there was documented fire damage throughout the entire Apartment 1R, and in 2021-2022, serious violations occurred including unauthorized reoccupancy during repair orders and issues with self-closing bulkhead doors.

The building has been subject to multiple violations regarding unauthorized alterations and improper use of living spaces in Apartment 1L, resulting in a $620 penalty in 2021 for work performed without proper permits, including unauthorized partition walls and plumbing installations. More recently, the building has faced pest control challenges, with inspections revealing rat activity between 2022 and 2023, though the most recent inspections in 2024 and 2025 have passed successfully. The property has maintained a clean record regarding bedbug infestations since 2021, with no reported cases in recent years.

The Department of Buildings has documented various compliance issues, including failure to post required construction notices in 2022. Despite these challenges, the building's recent rodent inspections in April 2025 and March 2024 show improvement, passing without any recorded violations. The property has consistently reported zero bedbug infestations in its annual filings since 2021, indicating effective pest management.