Just three days after an aging gymnasium at Weber State University closed for renovations, a construction worker was killed when a wall collapsed and rubble pinned him to the ground.
The man, who worked for a subcontractor, was caught in the 9:30 a.m. collapse, said university spokesman John Kowalewski.
He was taken to McKay-Dee Hospital, across the street from the university, and was pronounced dead at about 9:45 a.m.
"The university extends its deepest sympathy and condolences to his family," Kowalewski said.
He called the accident tragically ironic — that a building that is being made safer for students claimed a man who was helping in the effort.
The man was helping to remove a masonry wall from a faculty locker room in the basement when it gave way. He was alone in the room at the time, said Dan Pratt, a vice president of Hughes General Contractors Inc., which is supervising the renovation.
But a fellow worker was nearby and heard the noise from the 7-foot-high wall's collapse, Pratt said. Just over two-thirds of the wall's 8-foot length fell.
The man's name is not being released until family members, some of whom are abroad, can be contacted, Pratt said. But he expressed condolences to the victim's family and co-workers.
Two months ago, Hughes was awarded a nearly $5.6 million contract to address several safety issues in the building, Kowalewski said.
The victim worked for one of 15 subcontractors Hughes hired for the project. The subcontractor's name is also not being released.
The building will undergo seismic retrofitting, and a fire suppression system will be installed, as well as new electrical, plumbing, heating and ventilation systems. The project is expected to last 14 months, and the building should be ready for use by the time the fall 2006 school year begins.
The Swenson gym opened in 1962 and was the men's basketball team's original home court. Most recently, it has been used as an academic building and is the home of the department of health promotion and human performance.
During the renovation, classes and faculty offices will be relocated to a former residence hall.
E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com