Construction Projects Halted, Fires Spark in Several Major US Cities Amid Protests | Columbus Ohio Dump Trucks

The city of Chicago has indefinitely closed construction at all downtown columbus oh dump truck work sites beginning May 29. In addition, some roads have been closed “out of an abundance of caution and to protect the health and safety of all Chicago residents,” said the Chicago Dept. of Transportation in a statement. City agencies “will continue to enforce closures for the time being while assessing when to reopen,” the statement continued.

CTA and Metra commuter trains have also been halted indefinitely as a result of ongoing protests.

A spokeswoman for the Chicago Dept. of Buildings said that, to ensure that essential workers have access to the Central Business District and Loop area, the City communicated directly with essential industries, organizations and businesses that workers with vehicles can gain access at multiple established checkpoints across the city. But, while construction was considered essential infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic closures, it is not considered essential during the current public safety closure due to the protests.

“When we first heard [May 31] that essential personnel would be allowed back in at these checkpoints, we thought that was fabulous,” said Michael Meagher, president of the board of directors of the Chicagoland Associated General Contractors. “Then we heard it would be only first responders, medical personnel and others and that construction would not continue, we began the process of safely shutting all of our sites down.”

Meagher, who is also the president of the James McHugh Construction Co., said that construction leaders are in contact with Chicago Commissioner of Buildings Judy Frydland and are hoping that they can open their job sites back up by June 3.

No damage has yet been reported at columbus oh dump truck work sites in Chicago, he adds.

In California, the state’s chapter of the Associated General Contractors says some jobsites in the state have elected to shut down, while others are closing because they have not been deemed exempt from curfew orders, says Peter Tateishi, CEO of AGC of California. “Because construction remained essential during the COVID crisis, projects were able to continue. We are, however, hearing from companies who are closing administrative offices and returning to remote-work for staff.”

Multiple Fires

In Minneapolis, where protests began last week, a six-story low-income housing project was burnt to the ground on the night of May 27. Local business publication Twin Cities Business reported the $30-million project by St. Paul developer Wellington Management Inc. was set to complete in the spring of 2021. Continuing acts of “arson, rioting, looting, and damaging public and private property” led Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) to extend overnight curfews until June 3, he said in a statement.

In downtown Columbus, Ohio, fire crews early Sunday responded to a three-alarm fire at the The Residences at Topiary Park, a mixed-use development with 64 residential units and ground-level retail that was scheduled to complete this summer. Columbus Fire Chief Steve Martin said the cause of the fire was suspicious and under investigation. Although the cause of the fire is undetermined, Martin said fire crews started fighting the fire at the center of the unoccupied four-story building. He estimated damages at around $25 million.

Martin said the previous night, firefighters responded to six blazes in the same area, which was the scene of large protests. One of those fires was set at another apartment construction site, where he says a construction waste dumpster and pallets of roofing materials were set on fire. The fire remained contained within a staging area, adjacent to the structure.

In Washington, D.C., as protests intensified in Lafayette Square outside The White House late on May 31, a fire was started nearby at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce exterior renovation project site, according to D.C. Fire and EMS Dept. The $13-million project, set to complete next spring, aims to renovate the historic building’s exterior envelope. The fire originated in an alley at the base of the scaffolding, in or near a construction dumpster, says Vito Maggiolo, public information officer at D.C. Fire and EMS. The fire was able to spread upward through a trash chute just above the dumpster. “That’s why the fire burned as quickly as it did because of that large plastic chute,” Maggiolo says.

Fire crews were able to extinguish the fire before it spread beyond the exterior scaffolding, he said. The alley is shared by the historic Hay-Adams hotel and an office building that was completed by Clark Construction in 2019. Neither of those buildings suffered fire damage as a result of the scaffolding blaze, Maggiolo says.

Added Security

Construction sites in protest areas, which are already working under new COVID-19 protocols, are taking extra steps to prepare for possible damage during protests. Davis Construction, which has multiple active construction sites in Washington, D.C., sent communication to all of its project sites on June 1 about securing sites and equipment.

Dave Chandler, vice president of environmental health and safety, says audits are under way at all of its sites and that site-specific communication plans have been established for each. Management has also ensured that all security cameras are functioning properly. Perimeter fencing and entrances are all being secured, as well as tools, cranes, hoists and offices. Hazards such as flammable liquids and dumpsters are being eliminated or limited. Chandler says crews have also been told to not interfere with demonstrators.

In Seattle, "public projects along the waterfront and most other sites did a careful job buttoning up before the protests to avoid potential damage,” says Julie Moore, supervisor for Seattle’s joint information center. “We have heard that some large jobsites that typically columbus oh dump truck work over the weekend stopped Saturday afternoon/evening and have since resumed.”'