Glass keeps falling from downtown high-rise, what’s being done to stop it?

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Falling glass panels are once again raising concerns for people living and working in downtown Austin.

For the last six months KXAN has been following cases of falling glass panels at the ATX Tower downtown, located on the corner of West Sixth Street and Guadalupe Street.

So far there have been five incidents reported where glass panels have fallen off of the building onto the sidewalk and street below. The latest incident happened on Sept. 18.

A covered walkway was put in to protect people walking underneath the building, but shattered glass still can fall on the street below.

After each incident involving the falling glass, KXAN has reached out to Ryan Companies, who owns the building, to find out what happened and what is being done to fix the ongoing issue.

On Thursday, September 18, Ryan Companies discovered a broken glass panel at the ATX Tower construction site in downtown Austin. We can confirm that no injuries occurred as a result. We have secured the area and are coordinating the replacement of the panel.

We recently engaged third-party consultants who confirmed that the installation and design of the glass exterior meets all safety, industry and quality standards. Their independent investigation of prior glass breaks found no systemic issues with the building’s glass panels. We continue to monitor the situation closely as part of our commitment to maintaining a safe, high-quality environment for all occupants and community members.

-Ryan Companies spokesperson

KXAN has continuously reached out to the city of Austin Development Services Department, who is responsible for ensuring compliance with city building codes, to find out if any action is being taken to fix the ongoing issue and if Ryan Companies could be facing any fines.

These continued incidents of falling glass are not acceptable. Ensuring the safety of the community remains our top priority. We have instructed the contractor to reinstall appropriate sidewalk protection, and we are prepared to temporarily close the sidewalk if that is not put in place.

Regarding fines, the City of Austin is still evaluating our options as we work to resolve this issue with the contractor.

-city of Austin Development Services spokesperson

“Yet again, glass has fallen from a downtown tower, marking the fifth time this has happened,” said Austin City Council Member Zo Qadri. “It is completely unacceptable.”

“We’re assured staff is working to ensure all safety protections are up as soon as possible,” Qadri said.