A water main break near the Fall Creek Gorge has led to the closing of the Foundry and the Foundry Kiln bronze casting facility until further notice.

The break, which occurred late in the afternoon of May 20, has eroded the gorge bank to within 10 feet of the building, Cornell Facilities Services announced May 21. The building is located on University Avenue behind Sibley and Rand Halls and the construction site for Paul Milstein Hall, and serves the College of Architecture, Art and Planning as a sculpture studio and workshop for fine arts students.

Cornell and city of Ithaca crews responded May 20 to a report of water flowing out of the embankment near the Foundry, and secured the city and Cornell water lines to stop the flow. The cause of the water main failure is under investigation.

Civil engineers are working to stabilize the bank and protect nearby utilities so that the Foundry can reopen before the fall semester. The area around the Foundry is fenced off, and areas of the Fall Creek Gorge below the Foundry are considered especially dangerous because trees, rocks and soil could break loose and fall without warning.

The Foundry recently underwent a $500,000 rehabilitation project to reinforce the roof and add a sprinkler system. The 19th-century building is a designated local historic landmark and is the only remaining structure from a complex of industrial buildings that once stood north of Sibley Hall. The structure originally housed a blacksmith shop for the former Sibley College of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanic Arts.

Questions and concerns can be directed to Facilities Services Customer Service at 255-5322.