Restrictions at Frick Building remain

Closures to continue for at least two weeks

Cracking down on wayward pedestrians, Pittsburgh police pledged Wednesday to cite people who venture into restricted areas near the historic Frick Building, Downtown.

Plenty of walkers have defied yellow tape and other perimeters there since the weekend, when a large granite chunk broke from the landmark’s cornice and plunged into a crosswalk at Grant Street and Forbes Avenue, city officials said. Current closures on both thoroughfares will continue at least two weeks amid building repair efforts, according to Mayor Bill Peduto’s office.

“With the long-term closure of Grant Street and Forbes Avenue that is necessary to complete the work, city crews will soon erect stronger barriers to keep pedestrians and vehicles away from the area,” the administration said in a statement.

The city has blocked Grant Street from Fourth to Fifth avenues and Forbes Avenue from Ross Street to Cherry Way, plus some sidewalks in the area. Officials had hoped to reopen a single lane of Grant Street in time for rush hour Thursday morning, but “it’s just too complicated, detour-wise, to open up [only] segments,” Peduto spokesman Timothy McNulty said.

Closures could last several weeks, Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich has warned. He said traffic has eased since heavy jams Monday morning, with police arriving in the area Tuesday before 7 a.m.

“It looked a lot better [Tuesday] than it did” earlier, Mr. Hissrich said. He encouraged Downtown workers to arrive at work early — or to stay late — to help calm the congestion.

Engineers hired by the Frick Building owner, New Jersey-based Rugby Realty, were working

Wednesday on a report about the cornice’s condition, Mr. Peduto’s office said. The cause of the collapse was not immediately available.

Still, speculation has centered on the effects of longterm water infiltration from the weather. Estimates put the weight of the broken-off granite around 1,500 pounds. It fell some 250 feet from the top of the 115-year-old building, which stands about 20 storie sat 437 Grant St.

No injuries were reported. The property remains open through an entryway on Fifth Avenue, said Larry Walsh, Rugby’s chief operating officer in the area. He said the building was in compliance with city code, including a requirement for facade inspections every five years.

Repair plans call for a temporary barrier wall to capture debris from any further collapses. That will take shape around part of the building, allowing the construction of a 21-story scaffold so workers can encapsulate and restore the cornice, according to the city.

Putting up the scaffolding could take as many as two weeks, Mr. Walsh said, citing a contractor projection. City officials have said the road and sidewalk restrictions are necessary to guard the public.

A loosened piece of stone still atop the building could weigh some 800 pounds, said Maura Kennedy, the city director of permits, licenses and inspections. She said she has requested earlier facade inspection findings at the Frick property. Property owners are expected to have such reports available, according to Mr. Peduto’s office.

Mr. Walsh said he wasn’t immediately aware of the request. Ms. Kennedy has said the Frick Building had no active code violations that would have contributed to the cornice failure.

“We just want to make sure we’re very cautious,” she said Tuesday. “This is granite — several tons of granite up there.”