It looks like it will be some time before King Street reopens again.
From the Star:
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/214373
King St. to stay closed
140-kg chunk drops almost 60 storeys from First Canadian Place
May 16, 2007 07:08 AM
ROBYN DOOLITTLE
Staff Reporter
Toronto police announced this afternoon that Adelaide St. W and Bay St. have been reopened to traffic but King St. will remain closed, perhaps for several days, as the results of a slab of marble falling from First Canadian Place.
The marble fell off the building yesterday at the height of a severe thunderstorm that swept through the GTA and police closed all streets in the vicinity of the building.
Traffic in downtown Toronto was backed up just about everywhere and streetcar and bus service in the area was disrupted.
As of 4 o'clock this afternoon, only King St. was blocked off to traffic, including street cars.
Nearly 50,000 people ride the King St. car every day.
Sections of King St. W and Adelaide St., from Bay St. west to York St., were closed around 5 p.m. yesterday after the 140-kilogram slab of marble plunged 60 storeys to a third-floor roof below.
Police believe strong winds may have played a part in the incident.
Shortly before the chunk fell yesterday, ground wind speeds were measured at about 40 kilometres per hour, with gusts reaching 50 kp/h.
Thousands of marble slabs decorate the First Canadian Place tower and many, of not all, will have to be inspected.
Passersby stopped to take camera phone snapshots and to gawk at the gapping hole on the building’s west side.
Employees of firms in the building were able to report to work today by accessing the underground shopping areas.
TTC spokesperson Marilyn Bolton said streetcar service will be affected as long as the area is closed.
[....]
It's the second time in three months that downtown Toronto residents had to worry about debris falling from a tall building. Parts of the Gardiner Expressway were closed for 24 hours in early March, when sheets of ice fell from the CN Tower.
With files from Tamsyn Burgmann and Thulasi Srikanthan