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Hotel St. George marquee collapse closes Brooklyn subway stop
A marquee collapsed right outside of the Hotel St. George in Brooklyn on Sunday, forcing a nearby subway station to stop service. FOX 5 NY's Meredith Gorman has more on the alleged violations and maintenance failures.
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS - A marquee collapsed in Brooklyn Heights on Sunday, and is making the Monday commute a mess for thousands of New Yorkers.
What we know:
Surveillance footage shows the moment a massive marquee collapsed outside the historic Hotel St. George on Henry Street, which is now student housing.
The collapse happened just after 7 a.m. Sunday and blocked one of the only ways in and out of the Clark Street subway station, which sees more than five thousand riders on a normal weekday.
Luckily, no one was injured by the concrete and steel marquee, which officials say was heavy enough to kill anyone standing underneath.
City officials say the owners have already been cited for failing to maintain this structure.
The Department of Buildings released the following statement regarding its preliminary findings:
"Engineers found the collapsed marquee had completely corroded supports, posing a serious safety risk. A second marquee at the building is also unstable, forcing us to close both subway entrances until emergency repairs are made."
City inspectors also posted a bright yellow "Vacate Order" on the entrance to the Clark Street station.
It warns that conditions inside are immediately hazardous to life, and that unauthorized reentry is prohibited until the violations are corrected to the satisfaction of the Department of Buildings.
What they're saying:
Commuters say the subway station closure will make their week a lot harder, since those who take the 2 and 3 trains will have to find another way to work.
"It should have been inspected, and the building department should have been aware of these things. I am just very glad no one was hurt," a Brooklyn Heights resident said.
One MTA rider called it "pretty inconvenient."
"Even when I tried to get here on the train, there was no signal this had happened. There was nothing saying the station would be closed, so it definitely threw a wrench in our plans to get home."
What's next:
Inspectors are meeting with the building’s owners on Monday morning to chart out emergency repairs and decide when it might be safe to reopen.
For now, 2 and 3 trains are skipping Clark Street completely, and city officials say it could stay that way for some time.
The Source: Information from this article was provided by city officials, the Department of Buildings and reporting by FOX 5 NY.