Cleanup of the site where several buildings, including a strip club, partially collapsed will continue Tuesday.
Police initially responded to the corner of 4th and K streets NW Friday afternoon for an internal building collapse. One of the buildings involved was The Cloakroom, an "adult entertainment" venue, sending employees, dancers and a few customers outdoors.
A second collapse was reported about an hour later, when the third floor of The Cloakroom collapsed, sending hundreds of bricks onto the sidewalk. No one was seriously injured.
Partial cleanup of site began Saturday, and crews are expected to bring in heavy equipment Tuesday to tear down the remaining wall of one of the heavily damaged buildings.
Advisory Neighborhood Commission representative Marge Maceda told News4 she had noticed cracks along The Cloakroom's exterior and had worried a collapse was imminent.
"The roof had already been collapsed to some degree and was already falling down," Maceda said.
According to the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), construction work was being done in the basement of The Cloakroom when the first collapse happened. Workers on Bobcats were doing foundation work, and officials tell News4 buildings should be vacant when that type of work is being conducted. DCRA is now investigating whether the work being conducted Friday was properly permitted.
The building had previously housed Louis' Rogue Club, which closed in 2011 for renovations.
