FiDi Construction Work Resumes 2 Months After Worker's Death

LOWER MANHATTAN, NY — Construction has resumed at a Lower Manhattan site nearly two months after a construction worker fell to his death there.

The worker, Juan Chohillo, died in September after falling while working on the new building at 161 Maiden Lane. Authorities say Chohillo, 43, fell from the 28th floor of the building to the ground, and that he suffered trauma to his head and body.

After Chohillo's death, the city halted all construction work on the property for nearly two months. The stop work order was partially rescinded earlier this month, and workers can construct the building up to the 21st floor, according to city records. Workers must use a steel mast known as a jump hoist to access floors above the 21st level, the records say.

Chohillo was working at the site of the future luxury condo building 1 Seaport Residences, which is currently being built at 161 Maiden Lane. The building brands itself as the first all-glass residential tower in the Seaport district, according to the building's website. The luxury tower will rise 670 feet in the air once its been completed.

About a month of Chohillo's death, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed new legislation into law to increase safety training requirements for construction workers after a troubling increase in the number construction site fatalities.

Image credit: Drew Angerer / Staff / Getty Images News