Philadelphia contractor investigated after botched excavation

The city of Philadelphia is investigating the contractor responsible for the excavation that ultimately resulted in a colon cancer patient losing his home.

The city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections is looking into Dornelas Construction after an incident resulted in a row home being torn down in the Francisville neighborhood, Bisnow reported. The communications director of the department declined to share further details of the investigation.

Dornelas was doing excavation work on behalf of the Regis Group for a multifamily project in the neighborhood, butting up against 729 North 16th Street. Dornelas appeared to be digging out an illegal basement when bricks began coming down from the row home. Soon, part of the home’s rear foundation and first-floor wall collapsed into the excavation site.

By the next day, city officials ordered a same-day demolition of the family home.

Dornelas allegedly didn’t have the permits to excavate the site. The city had yet to check the structural stability of buildings around the site before digging commenced, according to the city’s permit website.

Furthermore, the contractor — which also does business as Freedom Construction — has a history of violations and investigations. It’s been cited more than a dozen times by the city for “repeated violations related to excavation, shoring, and underpinning that risked public safety,” according to the L&I Department.

In 2022, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Dornelas for a serious violation of worker safety. The company has been involved in seven accidents resulting in three injuries using company vehicles in a two-year span, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

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Dornelas did not respond to requests for comment from the publication. The Philadelphia Inquirer, which has dived deep into Philadelphia construction oversight, also did not hear back from the developer.

Regis has two development sites around the disaster zone, according to its website. Last year, the company wrapped construction on a 10-unit rental building at 721-723 North 16th Street, which is fully occupied. At 725-27 North 16th Street, Regis is advertising an eight-unit project expected to be completed next summer.

— Holden Walter-Warner