Falling bricks prompts demolition of downtown facade

Workers have begun dismantling a facade on a downtown Calgary building because of falling bricks.

The bricks tumbled down last week, eventually leaving an eight-by-four metre hole in themid-20th century building at 608 Seventh Street S.W.

• Downtown wall to come down after falling bricks crush car
• Facade compromised at downtown building where bricks fell, city says

The city's chief building officialMarco Civitarese determined on Monday that a brick facade needed to be taken down. The building is otherwise structurally sound.

Officials evacuated the building last week when the facade started crumbling. Crews erectedheavy barricade wallsmade of stacked concrete blocks and shipping containers in case the wall continued to come down.

Ian Yeagar's motorbike has been stuck in the parking lot below the building since last week. He isn't allowed to retrieve it and he expects it will be buried in bricks, along with four other vehicles.

There's really no way to get anything out of there, and quite honestly, its not worth risking anybodys life or injury to get something like that out of there.

His insurance company told him that he can't make a claimuntil themotorcycle is damaged.