The City of Danville will be keeping some temporary barricades in place near Collins Tower in the downtown area. Meanwhile an engineering firm is recommending they be made more permanent. Traffic was shifted in that area after some small pieces of the building fell last weekend. Danville Public Works Director Carl Carpenter told members of the city council this week that he had met with the owners of the building and their construction director since then…
[Note: If you look at the top, center of this photo you can see some of the damage which has city officials concerned. You can click on the photo to enlarge it.]The report from the Farnsworth Group says the inspection found some areas where pieces of façade are separated from the building. The report also says much of the remaining terracotta façade is at risk of separating from the building and falling to the ground, ‘’posing an imminent hazard to pedestrians and motorists near the south and east sides of Collins Tower.’’
The Farnsworth inspection also found evidence of mortar failure, corrosion of metal anchors and fracturing of terracotta blocks.
Danville Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. says the city has asked the building’s owners to provide immediate information on how they plan to address the problems. Meanwhile the sidewalk on the south and east sides of the building are closed. And the westbound traffic on Main Street, in the area of Collins Tower, will continue to be shifted toward the south – away from the building.
