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Bricks fall from downtown Youngstown building; winter weather blamed
YOUNGSTOWN
Age and the harsh winter weather are two of the likely reasons why about 100 to 150 square feet of brick fell off the side of a downtown building.
The bricks fell from an upper portion of the First Educators Investment Corp. building at 147 W. Federal St. FEIC Financial, a financial-planning business, is located in the building.
The bricks fell either late Monday or early Tuesday with no one around when it happened, said Charles Shasho, deputy director of the city’s public-works department.
“Things like that happen with a rough winter,” he said. “It causes problems with bricks and mortar. There have been no past problems with the building. We’re glad no one was hurt.”
The Rossi Family Partnership has owned the 105-year-old building on the corner of West Federal and South Hazel streets since 2003. It’s been in the Rossi family for decades, previously owned by Daniel J. and Patricia Rossi.
A Rossi family member said the age of the structure, particularly the mortar, caused the problem.
After the bricks fell, some of the others that remained on the building were dangling and looked as though they too could come off.
Because of the repair work, the city closed South Hazel Street, between West Federal and West Boardman streets, and the Market Court alley that is between West Federal and West Boardman.
That section of South Hazel already was partially closed because of improvement work being done to the Wells Building.
Also, the city is modifying traffic lights at the intersection of Hazel and Boardman while repair work is occurring on First Educators.
The streets will reopen and the traffic lights will be back to normal after repair work is done. Shasho said Tuesday the work should take four to five days. A Rossi family member said she expected the work to do be done today.
The First Educators brick problem occurred a day after a similar incident in Cleveland. On Monday, bricks fell off the top of the 11-story former National City Bank building on East 6th Street in Cleveland, crushing a minivan below it, according to an article from the Northeast Ohio Media Group.