On May 16, 1979, Grace was walking with a group of friends when she was struck by a large piece of terracotta that had fallen from the seventh-floor facade of a Columbia-owned building. She was pronounced dead shortly after.
In response to Grace’s death, the city passed Local Law 10 in 1980, requiring buildings taller than six stories to undergo regular facade inspections. In 1998, the law was amended to extend this requirement to all buildings.
The law also mandated property owners to provide sidewalk sheds to protect pedestrians from falling debris.
This marked the beginning of the New York City scaffolding phenomenon. Property owners often leave the sheds in place without making the necessary repairs, thereby complying with the law while still protecting pedestrians from falling objects.
This is why scaffolding can be seen covering buildings across the city, even on those that have not been repaired for years.
The creation of Grace Gold Way came about thanks to her older sister, Lori Gold. Lori doesn’t recall seeing as many sidewalk sheds in the city before her sister’s tragic death, but she adds that many pedestrians are alive today because of these safety measures.