A fire sprinkler pipe burst on the second floor of the Frieze Building last night, flooding the first two floors and the basement.
- Angela Cesere
- Water flows down the stairs on the west side of the abandoned Frieze Building last night. A pipe burst, flooding the structure. (STEVEN TAI/Daily)
Water cascaded down the stairs on the west side of the building, under the glass doors and out onto the sidewalk. It leaked through the first floor ceiling, coming down in sheets that look like a steady rain.
The Central Campus building is in a state of limbo, slated to be demolished to make room for the new North Quad Residence Hall this winter.
The University left the building’s water on as a precautionary measure in case of a fire, Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Diane Brown said.
As of 9 p.m. yesterday, the flooding had subsided. However, there were still large puddles on the floors near the State Street and Washington Street entrances.
An employee of the University Plant Department’s plumbing shop speculated that the heat had been left off, allowing the building’s pipes to freeze and break. Brown said she was not sure whether the heat was on or off in the building.
Off-campus housing tips on the University’s website advise students to leave the heat on during the winter to keep pipes from freezing and exploding.
The electricity in the building had not been turned off.