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Dead Man Found On Rooftop of Vacant Midtown Building

By Nicole Bode | December 17, 2009 4:04pm | Updated on December 18, 2009 7:40am
Lobby to the historically landmarked Argonaut building at 224 West 57th St. A dead body was found on the roof Dec. 17, 2009.
Lobby to the historically landmarked Argonaut building at 224 West 57th St. A dead body was found on the roof Dec. 17, 2009.
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DNAinfo/Jennifer Glickel

By Jennifer Glickel and Nicole Bode

DNAinfo Staff

Police have discovered a dead body lying on the roof of the landmark Argonaut building in Midtown West.

The unidentified male, who police said was white and appeared to be in his 40s, was found atop 224 W. 57th St. near Seventh Avenue around 2 p.m. He was wearing jeans and had no wallet or identification on him, police said.

Police said there was no evidence his death was a homicide.

The building, also known as the Argonaut building, was landmarked by the city in 2000 and is currently under construction to become a high-end retail and office building. Owners 57Landmark tout the rich history of the century-old building, once home to a fledgling General Motors, and more recently the digs for media giant Hearst.

Artistic rendering of the Argonaut building at W. 57th Street.
Artistic rendering of the Argonaut building at W. 57th Street.
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M1 Real Estate

The building has been under renovation for two years and is closed to the public, police said.

The only people who are supposed to be allowed access are construction workers, police said.

A spokesman for 57Landmark said he did not have any details about the incident or how the man could have gained access to the roof.

"It's a tragedy," said John Marino, of the publicity firm the Marino Organization.

Police said a tenant at a neighboring residential building that overlooks the W. 57th St. roof spotted the body through a window and alerted them.