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LITTLE VILLAGE — The wife of a contractor who fell to his death at the former Crawford Coal Plant in December filed a negligence lawsuit against the owners of the site, Northbrook-based Hilco Development Partners.
In the suit filed Thursday, Reynaldo Grimaldo’s wife, Cecilia, alleges Hilco and partners HRE Crawford and MCM Management Corp.’s “careless and negligent acts” resulted in her husband’s death.
The lawsuit said Grimaldo’s death has caused “great losses” personally and financially.
At 7:19 a.m. Dec. 30, Grimaldo, 54, was trying to climb onto an elevated platform at the old coal plant at 3501 S. Pulaski Road when he fell 50 feet to his death, officials said.
Grimaldo, of Little Village, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.
RELATED: Demolition Of Crawford Coal Plant Suspended After Worker Falls To His Death
Work at the site has been suspended and will not resume until the developers get the green light from “authorities,” Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22nd) told Block Club Chicago.
The death is being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
An attorney for Grimaldo’s wife declined to comment, saying the case was still being investigated by OSHA.
Hilco Development Partners, which is redeveloping the site into a one-million-square-foot distribution center, did not respond to request for comment.
RELATED: Massive Little Village Warehouse On Old Crawford Coal Plant Site Approved By City Council
The Crawford Power Plant was shut down in 2012 after community-led efforts raised concerns about the impact coal pollution was having on the health of Little Village residents.
Hilco’s redevelopment plan sparked anger among residents who feared the distribution center would bring more diesel trucks and increase pollution in the neighborhood.
The distribution center is expected to be completed later this year.
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