READING, MASS. (WHDH) – Crews responded in Reading Wednesday after several bricks fell from a building on Lowell Street.
The incident happened late Wednesday morning at 32 Lowell Street and scattered debris across the building’s front steps and lawn.There were no injuries at the scene and the town building department was notified.
“First of all, thank God nobody was hurt,” said Reading Town Manager Matt Kraunelis. “That’s the real important piece of this.”
SKY7-HD was over the area shortly before 11:30 a.m. and spotted local firefighters still on scene. The area was taped off and one person was seen using a drone to survey the damage.
A former church, the building at 32 Lowell Street has stood for more than a century. It has been home to the Northeast School of Ballet for more than a decade.
“We just heard a loud noise and I looked out the window and I saw the bricks,” Sullivan said, describing the moment the bricks fell.
Kraunelis said construction crews were doing renovations on the structure when bricks fell to the ground.
Sullivan said she thought a truck associated with the renovations had tipped over.
“So, when I looked, I saw they were still in it and all the bricks were on the ground,” she said.
Surveillance video from Sullivan’s house showed Reading Fire Crews arriving on scene in a matter of minutes.
Sullivan said the ballet school where this incident happened is usually bustling with activity. After hosting summer classes last month, though, the school is not scheduled to reopen until the beginning of September.
“It’s very busy,” Sullivan said. “They’re always coming every day in and out. But I’m pretty sure it’s closed this week.”
Kraunelis said officials still need to inspect the building to determine whether there are any structural issues at play.
“We’re going to err on the side of caution here and take a good hard look at the building before anyone is allowed back in,” he said.
Kraunelis said the sidewalk in the area would be closed for the time being. Crews also installed fencing to the area to further block access until experts complete their inspection.
Separately speaking with 7NEWS, the owner of the building at 32 Lowell Street said they expect the inspection to take place in the coming days.
“We’re going to err on the side of caution and safety,” Kraunelis said again. “That’s our main concern here today.”
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