Mall’s owner cited over rusted railings

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

A man tended to a section of railing that had come loose as security personnel oversaw the operation Monday at Ala Moana Center. City inspectors issued a notice of violation to the mall’s owner Friday after the railings broke Sunday night, causing one man to fall to his death and leaving another in critical condition.

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City inspectors found rust and spalling in metal railings at Ala Moana Center where a man fell to his death and issued a notice of violation Friday to the owner of the mall.

Department of Planning and Permitting inspectors conducted an investigation and inspected the railing near Hookipa Terrace on Monday and Tuesday after a 21-year-old man died and another was critically injured Sunday when the railing they were leaning on collapsed.

Inspectors found evidence of rust where the collapsed rail was embedded in the concrete, as well as on other railings in the general vicinity, the city said.

The notice was issued to GGP Ala Moana LLC, an affiliate of General Growth Properties.

GGP has 30 days to obtain a building permit and repair the deteriorated posts, the city said. Failure to do so could lead to an initial fine of $100 and $100 each day the violation is not corrected.

“The evidence indicates a safety issue with the railings, and we issued a notice of violation, which requires the owner to apply for a building permit to repair or replace the damaged railings,” said Art Challacombe, the city’s acting director of planning and permitting. “Our top priority is the health and safety of the public.”

Francis Cofran, Ala Moana Center general manager, said in a statement that “Ala Moana will comply with all requirements as indicated in the notices in a timely manner.”

Desman Design Management, a structural engineering firm, has begun an additional assessment of all railings on the property, Cofran said. “As previously stated, all necessary repairs will be made,” he said.

“The safety and welfare of our customers and employees is a matter that we take very seriously and always address as a priority,” Cofran said. “Our hearts go out to the families and all those affected by this tragic event.”

Ala Moana, Hawaii’s largest shopping complex, completed a $570 million expansion of its Ewa wing earlier this year. The railing that collapsed is on the Diamond Head side of the mall.

Ala Moana Railings Nov by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd