By Julie Shapiro
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
FINANCIAL DISTRICT — A piece of metal dangling from the facade of 2 Broadway shut down Bowling Green for more than an hour Tuesday afternoon, the FDNY said.
The 12-to-14-foot piece of aluminum was discovered blowing in the wind at the top of the 34-story building about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, said the FDNY and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which has a long-term lease on the building.
Emergency personnel roped off Broadway between Beaver and Stone streets and closed the building’s lobby while they worked to secure the metal piece. A portion of Bowling Green plaza, including an entrance to the 4/5 subway station, was also shut down.
By about 3:50 p.m., firefighters standing on the roof of the building had secured the metal rod and raised it up to the roof and out of sight. Called a mullion, the metal piece normally fits in between the building's window panes but appeared to have been shaken loose by this week’s blizzard, an MTA spokeswoman said.
The entire area was reopened by about 4 p.m., an MTA spokeswoman said.
The building at 2 Broadway houses the MTA’s New York City Transit and Bridges and Tunnels departments, along with other offices and retail on the ground floor.
There were no injuries, and the Department of Buildings was inspecting the tower Tuesday afternoon, the MTA said.
The DOB issued a violation to the building owner for failing to maintain it, and planned to do a followup inspection soon, a DOB spokeswoman said.
