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Woman Killed by Falling Debris Near Times Square Woman Killed by Falling Debris Near Times Square
(about 2 hours later)
A 60-year-old woman was killed by debris that fell off a building in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday morning, officials said. On a cold, rainy Tuesday morning, just north of Times Square, pedestrians were hurrying under umbrellas past a noodle joint, a Superdry Store and a nail salon.
The woman was struck while walking down the street past a building near the intersection of Seventh Avenue and 49th Street, just north of Times Square, officials said. Among them was Erica L. Tishman, 60, an accomplished architect whose office was a few blocks away.
The Fire Department was called around 10:45 a.m., a spokesman said. When officials arrived, the woman was already deceased at the scene. As Ms. Tishman was walking on the southeast corner of Seventh Avenue and 49th Street, the unimaginable happened. A piece of the building facade from a 17-story building that, officials said, had recently been fined by the city for its unsafe facade, broke off and tumbled to the ground, hitting Ms. Tishman.
No other people were injured. The woman has not yet been identified. By the time emergency responders arrived, minutes after being called at about 10:45 a.m., she was dead, the police said.
A crowd of several dozen onlookers stood nearby as officials placed a white sheet over her body amid steady rainfall. No other people were injured.
The police said they had responded to reports of an unconscious woman outside 152 West 49th Street. Inspectors from the Department of Buildings were on the scene, checking to see if the closest tall building, 729 Seventh Avenue, had structural problems, the authorities said. The death left onlookers shaken. A crowd of several dozen people stood nearby as officials placed a white sheet over her body amid steady rainfall.
“I walk down that street all the time,” said Darrell Wright, an employee at Barclays, the bank, which has offices across from where the woman was hit. “I take that street to get to the subway. It makes you nervous.”
Ms. Tishman, whose identity was confirmed by the police on Tuesday, was a lifelong New Yorker, prominent as a volunteer in several institutions. She was a vice president at Zubatkin, a project management firm, and the chair of the board of directors at the Educational Alliance, a nonprofit organization on the Lower East Side, according to her company biography. She also served on the board of trustees at the Riverdale Country School and at Central Synagogue in Manhattan.
Born Erica Lindenbaum, she attended the Riverdale Country School in the Bronx, then Princeton University and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. In 1982, she married Steven Tishman, whose father was the president of a furniture chain in Florida. The couple has three children.
A woman who picked up the phone at her Park Avenue apartment said that she had no comment.
Though Ms. Tishman collapsed in front of a noodle restaurant at 152 West 49th Street, the Department of Buildings said that its initial investigation found that the falling debris had come from the neighboring building, 729 Seventh Avenue, a 17-story office building with retail shops on the first floor.
In April, inspectors at the Department of Buildings had issued a violation to the building’s owner, Himmel + Meringoff Properties, because of a “failure to maintain exterior building facade,” according to city records.In April, inspectors at the Department of Buildings had issued a violation to the building’s owner, Himmel + Meringoff Properties, because of a “failure to maintain exterior building facade,” according to city records.
Inspectors found that terra cotta above the 15th floor was damaged and at risk of falling and injuring people on the street. The owners later paid a $1,250 fine in connection with the violation, which was listed as a Class 1 ticket, the highest level of severity.Inspectors found that terra cotta above the 15th floor was damaged and at risk of falling and injuring people on the street. The owners later paid a $1,250 fine in connection with the violation, which was listed as a Class 1 ticket, the highest level of severity.
In late November, the building received approval to begin masonry repair work on its facade, according to city records. The building’s management told the city in November that it would install scaffolding up to 150 feet tall to repair the facade. The scaffolding had not been installed as of Tuesday morning. In late November, the building, which was originally constructed around 1915, received approval to begin masonry repair work on its facade, according to city records. The building’s management told the city in November that it planned to install scaffolding up to 150 feet tall for the repairs. The scaffolding had not been installed as of Tuesday morning.
The building was constructed in 1915. It is 17 stories tall, with retail businesses on the ground floor and office tenants above. “This is a tragedy, and the family and friends of the victim are in our thoughts,” said Abigail Kunitz, a spokeswoman for the Department of Buildings, who added that the investigation into the accident was ongoing. “No pedestrian should be at risk from dangerous facade conditions.”
“This is a tragedy, and the family and friends of the victim are in our thoughts,” said Abigail Kunitz, a spokeswoman for the Department of Buildings. “No pedestrian should be at risk from dangerous facade conditions.” Himmel + Meringoff owns 12 commercial buildings in Manhattan, among other holdings. Most of them are in Midtown.
Himmel + Meringoff did not immediately return a message seeking comment. The company owns 12 commercial buildings in Manhattan, among other holdings. “We are saddened by this tragedy and our hearts go out to the family,” the company said in a statement. “The company will fully cooperate with the city in the ongoing matter.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Aaron Randle and Michael Gold contributed reporting.Aaron Randle and Michael Gold contributed reporting.