Brookfield Place inspection reveals 3 scratched glass panels
A preliminary investigation into what caused two separate panes of glass to fall from Brookfield Place in downtown Calgary last month revealed three more panels with "minor scratches."
In the first incident on Oct. 15, a window-washing crew working in high winds accidentally smashed a panel on the 51st storey. This past Sunday, a second pane fell from the 23rd floor — on the same northeast side — and smashed on the pavement, prompting emergency closures in downtown Calgary.
On Wednesday, the streets and sidewalks around the building were shut down in the name of public safety, while the building owners worked to remedy the construction concerns.
In a statement released Wednesday, a spokesperson for Brookfield Place said they were undergoing an intensive, comprehensive investigation of every glass panel in the building.
"We have observed damage to some additional glass panels along the northeast facade that are believed to have been a result of falling glass debris from the original incident on October 15," the statement read.
Brookfield is also taking "immediate and appropriate" steps to ensure the window panes are not further compromised.
A firm date as to when sidewalks and traffic lanes around the skyscraper will reopen has not been set.
Marco Civatarese, the city's chief building official, said the work on repairing or replacing the glass is heavily dependent on the weather.
"We are following the weather patterns right now so it could be within a day or within a week," he said. "I can't answer the forecasting."
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