By Maggie Cassidy and Gal Tziperman Lotan, News Staff
Northeastern has been cited for having an ‘unsafe structure’ in the cornice collapse of a Huntington Avenue residence hall, Inspectional Services Department (ISD) spokesperson Lisa Timberlake confirmed Friday, calling the citation ‘very severe.’
To view the citation at the Boston Herald website, click here.
‘Until we get the engineers’ reports stating what action should be taken and what the cause of the collapse is, the building will be deemed unsafe,’ Timberlake said.
The citation gives the university 24 hours to begin securing the building, which Timberlake said it started Monday.
‘They’ve stepped up tremendously,’ she said of Northeastern officials. ‘They had two licensed engineers on scene with our inspectors working to determine the cause.’
No other parties have been cited, she said. ISD engineers are still determining the cause of the collapse.
The residence hall, 337 Huntington Ave., was built in the early 1920s, Timberlake said.
Prior to receiving the documented citation, Vice President of Marketing Communications Mike Armini told The News Thursday: ‘Following the accident on Monday, in which there were no injuries, Northeastern has secured the site and is taking all necessary precautions to ensure public safety,’ adding that these measures satisfy the requirements listed in the citation.
He had no further comment Friday, but said on Thursday he hopes structural engineers hired by Northeastern will pinpoint a cause within the next few days.
Northeastern relocated all of the building’s about 60 residents, most whom were students, Monday night, Armini told The News Tuesday. The students will live in Davenport B for the remainder of the summer, he said.
Traffic moved freely on both sides of Huntington Avenue Thursday, the first time that the westbound side hasn’t been at least partially blocked. St. Stephen Street and Opera Place were still barricaded.
Piles of stone that collapsed from the cornice had been moved from the street, but evidence of their fall — including bent metal railings on windows and walkways into businesses and chipped cement window furnishings — were visible.
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To read the Herald story, click here.
For Wednesday’s Huntington News coverage, click here. For Tuesday’s News coverage, click here. For Monday’s News coverage, click here.
For a Huntington News photo gallery, click here.
For an online video of student reactions, click here.
