Artist Critical After Five Pointz Stairway Collapse

Photograph by Atomische + Tom Giebel on Flickr

The jewelry designer who was injured when an external stairway collapsed at the artists' warehouse Five Pointz is in critical condition at Bellevue Hospital. According to the Daily News, Nicole Gagne, 37, is in the trauma unit at the hospital after falling three stories and being buried by concrete steps and metal debris. A friend said, "She's used those stairs for years. We didn't expect she was rolling the dice with her life."

The Buildings Department told the News, "The preliminary investigation revealed the collapse was caused by neglect and failure to maintain the building." The paper also notes the Buildings Dept. "cited the owner, G&M Realty, five times last year for illegally converting the factory to artist studios."

Five Pointz, located in Long Island City, is famous for the legal graffiti on its exterior and is home to many artists' workspaces. Artists were told on Friday night that they wouldn't be able to re-enter until a protective scaffolding was built, which might happen tomorrow.