4:21 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016
WEST PALM BEACH — One man is dead after he fell from the 15th floor of building under construction in downtown West Palm Beach Thursday afternoon, according to authorities.
Around 1:45 p.m., West Palm Beach police and fire rescue were called to 333 Fern St., on the northeast corner of South Dixie Highway, where a construction worker fell. The man, whose name and age were not released by authorities, was found dead at the scene.
Richard Graulich West Palm Beach Fire Rescue workers respond to the scene where a worker allegedly fell from a construction project on US1 between Evernia and Fern Streets in downtown West Palm Beach on September 1, 2016. (Richard Graulich / The Palm Beach Post)
West Palm Beach Assistant Fire Chief Diana Matty said it appeared debris at the construction site fell with the man, so firefighters at the scene searched through remains to see if anyone else was involved. There were no additional injuries, Matty said. A section of plywood and metal framework, similar to those on the top floor of the building, appeared to have crashed onto the ground and chain-link fence around the building.
Originally, investigators thought the man fell from the 10th floor, but soon after learned he fell from the 15th floor, Matty said. Though only 12 floors are completed on the building, construction goes up to 15 floors, she said.
The cause of the death remains under investigation .
View of the unfinished floor from which a man fell today in downtown West Palm Beach. (Hannah Winston / Palm Beach Post)
South Dixie Highway was closed for several hours between Datura and Fern streets as police, fire rescue and Occupational Safety and Health Administration examined the scene.
The soon-to-be-apartment building is expected to be complete with 210 units during summer 2017. The apartments were originally named “Isis Downtown” after the Egyptian goddess. Developers quietly changed the name in 2014 to 3 Thirty Three Downtown after “ISIS” emerged as the acronym for the Islamic State group in the Middle East. In 2015, the changed it again to its current name, The Alexander.
The property is a joint venture between Kolter Group and Ram Realty. Ram also owns the apartments across the street, Alexander Lofts, where a brick mural facade collapsed March 3, injuring several and damaging a law firm building next door. Initially, investigators thought the vibrations from the construction at 333 Fern St. caused the bricks to collapse. City officials later said corroded metal ties that held a brick facade to the wall of the historic building were to blame for the collapse.
A worker fell to his death from the top of the 3 Thirty Three Downtown building in West Palm Beach. (Hannah Winston / The Palm Beach Post)
Ram referred all questions about the fatal incident to the developer, Kast Construction. A message left Thursday afternoon was not immediately returned.
