E-Bike Blaze Exposes Suspicious Cellar Operation on 15th Avenue and 70th Street

By Y.M. Lowy

A partial vacate order has been posted on the cellar door of 1521 70th Street. Building investigators say the basement, listed on the certificate of occupancy as an office, had multiple violations. Inside, they found massage tables, chairs, and electronic gambling machines.

The violations were discovered after firefighters responded to an e-bike fire just after 1 p.m. on Monday. One person was injured and taken to a hospital. A charred bike was later found near the scene, though officials have not confirmed if it was the same one involved in the fire.

The Department of Buildings documented the violations in the cellar, which had also seen an unnaturally steady flow of people coming and going over time.

photo: Illustration