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Window Falls From Downtown Sacramento High Rise

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – An window panel between the eighth and ninth floors fell from a downtown high-rise Wednesday morning, crashing to the sidewalk below. It's the latest incident at the state-owned Board of Equalization building that has been plagued for years with problems from mold and leaks to faulty elevators and is costing taxpayers millions to fix.

The window fell at the troubled Board of Equalization building at 450 N Street.

The glass crashed onto 5th Street, which was then closed to traffic. The sidewalk was also blocked off as crews cleaned up the mess. The State Department of General Services, which is in charge of property, is investigating the accident.

Luckily, no one was hurt in the accident. Building officials say the window that fell is a decorative window placed between floors.

"It's nowhere near where anyone is sitting," state spokesman Jaime Garza said.

This is not the first time windows have fallen from the building. In 2003, reports of window leaks and falling glass began. Canopies were eventually installed to protect pedestrians. From the 2006-2008, the state undertook a project to fix all the windows in the building.

The building has also had water leakage problems, bat problems, reports of free-falling elevators and sickness from mold.

For the past seven years, the building has been under constant construction. Workers at the 24-story building have dubbed it the "sick building." There have been dozens of worker compensation claims from employees who say the building has caused their health problems.

The cost to make all the repairs to the building, which is scheduled to be complete in 2014, is now estimated at more than $65 million in taxpayer money. The state cannot sue the builder for damages because the deadline for legal action has passed.

The state still owes roughly $80 million in loan payments on the building.

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