A piece of concrete fell about 10 feet in Coral Gables. It hit a worker on the head
A man was hit on the head by falling concrete Wednesday, fire-rescue said, while working at a construction site that’s part of the $600 million Plaza project in Coral Gables.
The incident happened around 9 a.m. at a construction site in the area of Coconut Grove Drive and Malaga Avenue. The concrete fell from about 10 to 15 feet and hit the construction worker, who was wearing a helmet, said Coral Gables Fire Rescue Capt. Daniel Amador.
The man, believed to be in his 30s, was awake and airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital in stable condition. His helmet was damaged.
A spokesman for contractor Coastal Construction said the man was an employee of Coastal Masonry. Online OSHA records for Miami-based Coastal Construction show one inspection at The Plaza project, unannounced with no violations, on Sept. 6, 2019.
That same day, Pompano Beach-based Coastal Masonry got hit with two scaffolding safety violations at The Plaza project that added up to $20,458 in fines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. And an OSHA complaint filed against Coastal Masonry on the project in February 2020 remains open.
Within the last five years, Coastal Masonry got dunned one other time in Florida, paying $2,897 for a fall protection violation while working on Coral Springs City Hall in February 2017.
The Plaza project
The seven-acre project along the east side of Ponce de Leon Boulevard, six blocks south of Miracle Mile will encompass 1.1 million square feet of luxury apartments, offices, shops, restaurants, parking garages and a 242-room hotel when it is finished in late 2022.
Nestled in the middle of the Plaza’s construction zone, surrounded on all sides by parking garages and a 15-story hotel is Orlando Capote’s two-bedroom home at 2915 Coconut Grove Dr. The homeowner has been embroiled in a battle against Coral Gables for six years and refuses to move out of his dream house.
This article will be updated.
Miami Herald staff writer Linda Robertson contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 23, 2021 at 2:56 PM.
