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One Worker Killed, Another Injured In Elevator Collapse At Mott Haven Building
By
Sophia Chang
Published May 19, 2021
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By
Sophia Chang
Published May 19, 2021
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One man was killed and another critically injured in an elevator collapse Wednesday at a construction site, officials said, inside a Bronx building known for its prominent History Channel billboard.
Around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, the two men were working at 20 Bruckner Boulevard in Mott Haven, loading equipment into an elevator when it collapsed from the 4th floor, an NYPD official said. A 30-year-old man was under the elevator and pronounced dead at the scene, while a 29-year-old man inside the elevator was taken in critical condition to Lincoln Hospital, according to police.
The names of the two men were not immediately available. The Department of Buildings said investigators were at the scene. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said the agency is “aware of the incident and is responding.”
The permit holder for the construction site is GDI Construction, which issued a statement: "What happened this morning at 20 Bruckner was a terrible incident and everyone on site is completely devastated. Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and loved ones of the individual who passed away and our thoughts are with the person who is in critical condition. We are working closely with the local authorities as we undergo a full investigation.”
The former Ruppert Ice House factory had sat vacant for years and was in the midst of renovations, Curbed reported, developed by MADDD Equities and one of the owners of the property, Drew Katz.
GDI Construction appears to be part of MADDD Equities and they share the same address in Floral Park on Long Island.
The developers had secured a $50 million loan last year to convert the 188,000 square-foot space for a new branch of the DREAM Charter Schools, and hired architect Sir David Adjaye who designed the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C., according to reports.
The billboard on the five-story building’s roof was for many years an ad for the History Channel and now an iHeartRadio ad, visible from nearby Third Avenue Bridge and the Bruckner Expressway. The factory was originally built by brewer Jacob Ruppert, Jr., who as one of the owners of the New York Yankees also built the original Yankee Stadium.
Tagged
mott haven
osha
the bronx
elevator death
department of buildings
Sophia Chang
Sophia Chang is a former WNYC and Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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