Daniel MaurerA nondescript doorway that acheived some measure of infamy in recent weeks is getting a new look.
Earlier today, workers were seen installing wood paneling outside of the First Avenue building where a man attempted to rape a tenant in the early morning hours of Nov. 13. The building’s management company has not yet responded to an inquiry into the remodeling, but workers on the scene showed The Local that they were installing a new lock system near the building’s front door. A security camera was also being worked on.
Aided by surveillance camera footage, the police arrested Imre Meszesan less than 48 hours after he allegedly followed Jane Callanan, a 27-year-old fashion industry worker, into her building and attacked her in the stairwell. News trucks were positioned on the block between 12th and 13th Streets for days.
Update | 2:25 p.m. The owner of the building, who asked not to be named, has now told The Local that the changes have “nothing to do with what happened.” He said that they are part of a makeover of the public areas of the building that started a few weeks ago, and will not include changes to security (we have revised the original headline of this post accordingly). “I have a very sophisticated system and that’s why the police were able to identify the person from crystal clear photographs,” he said, adding that there are a dozen cameras in the building and “the key system is remaining the same. I have good locks on both doors.”
