Midtown scaffold collapse adds to growing concern over abandoned site
Concerns grow after scaffolding collapse by Atlanta building
Emergency crews finished cleaning up collapsed pedestrian walkway scaffolding that fell over the weekend at 14th and Peach Street, also known as the old Campanile building or the Dewberry building.
ATLANTA - A collapsed scaffolding walkway at an abandoned high-rise development caused traffic delays Sunday and prompted renewed safety demands from Midtown Atlanta residents.
What we know:
A covered scaffolding walkway over the sidewalk at the old Campanile building was completely destroyed overnight. The large 20-story building construction site sits at 14th and Peachtree streets across from Colony Square along Peachtree Street NE.
Following the collapse, a representative for the construction company stated that they are filing a report with the Atlanta Police Department to determine exactly what caused the structure to fall. The incident caused traffic delays on Sunday as residents called for immediate action regarding the stalled development.
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed what specific impact or force caused the covered pedestrian walkway to collapse overnight. It remains unknown how long it will take workers to clear the debris and fully reopen the sidewalk and affected traffic lanes.
The backstory:
An official inspection report from May deemed the building unsafe, stating that the covered pedestrian walkways created multiple trip hazards due to displaced concrete pavers. Local residents say the site has been a problematic eyesore for years, with no visible work happening for more than three years.
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Patrick Turner, a neighborhood resident for more than seven years, is part of an online petition with over 3,000 signatures demanding public safety transparency for the high-rise and its crane. Turner noted that the petition has received minimal feedback from local leaders or the construction firm.
What they're saying:
"It has been in this state for at least 3 years now and my first thought was that I hope no one got hurt. My second thought was that I'm surprised it took this long before something happened," Turner said.
Residents express growing worry over the lack of visible maintenance or oversight at the high-rise.
"It's normal around Midtown (the covered pedestrian walkways), but given how long it's been here and just the general state. We don't see anyone coming around checking on things, doing work on the building. It's concerning how long will it be stable and how long will it remain safe," Turner said.
Turner added that his community outreach has yielded little progress. "Have not heard anything meaningful personally. I got some very quick responses that look to be pretty. We will look at this," Turner said, adding that "Nothing ever makes it appear that someone is trying to do serious work in this area."
Neighbors hope the lot will eventually match the rest of the community. "I hope to see it come back and look as vibrant as the area around it. This is a beautiful part of town and this stands out for the wrong reason. I would like to see something done to have it blend in with the rest of Midtown," Turner said.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Patrick Turner, a Midtown resident who explained how the community is responding, as well as an official inspection report and statements from the construction company.