A section of sidewalk on the lower side of downtown Duluth's West First Street remains closed, after part of a building facade collapsed, spilling bricks from the second story onto the walkway below.

Fortunately, the shower of bricks is believed to have occurred after hours with no known injuries or even witnesses.

Supannee Stamm, owner of the restaurant Thai by Thai at 114 W. First St., said she arrived at work one morning to find a jumble of bricks just feet from her door.

"For the first three days after that, I had no business," she said. "People didn't feel safe."

Now the portion of sidewalk below the fallen facade is cordoned off, and Thai by Thai's doors are open, but Stamm said the pile of bricks outside continues to crimp her business. "Some people are still afraid," she explained.

The other tenant of the brick building, Anchors End Tattoo and Piercing Shop at 116 W. First St., also has been able to resume business.

Greg Smith, a housing inspector for the city of Duluth, noticed the fallen bricks Dec. 31 and contacted the building's owner, TSG Corporation LLC, locally represented by Tony Gray.

Smith said Gray has been very responsive to the city's request that he secure the area below the fallen bricks and pry loose any additional bricks in danger of giving way.

Gray did not return calls from the News Tribune Wednesday afternoon, but Smith said he was quick to contact his insurer and begin lining up a contractor to handle needed repairs to the building's brickwork.

"We've told him that if he can secure it for the winter, we would allow him until the springtime when the weather allows him to repair it," Smith said.

"He's been proactive in the way he's dealing with it, and we're pretty confident he's going to take care of it," Smith said.

Nevertheless, fallen bricks have been left in place for the time being.

"Part of the process is obviously getting the insurance company to come out and take a look at it. Lots of times, they don't want you to touch what's happened since the failure. It's almost like a fire scene or any structural failure. They want you to secure the area, as is, and make sure it's as safe as possible in the moment so it doesn't cause any further damage or injury. The insurance company comes out and evaluates it to determine what's covered. Then, he'll move forward with a contractor to take care of it," Smith said.

Smith remains optimistic the restaurant and tattoo shop that occupy the building will be able to remain open during the interim without endangering their patrons or other passersby.

"That's something we evaluated when we first looked at it was — okay, do those falling sections affect those two business doors? But luckily they didn't. They went right about to the edge but no further," Smith said.

Smith suspects the building's facade became compromised when water that had worked its way behind the bricks froze and expanded.