Cranston City Councilman Don Botts works at International Data Group in Boston — right at the site of one of the two explosions that rocked the Boston Marathon today.
"I walk on that exact spot of sidewalk every week day," Botts said.
But today, he decided to stay home and enjoy a day off with his family. Patriot's Day is one of his flex days, so he could have gone in if he wished. In fact, he was thinking it would be a good day to come in and install a new firewall since there would be nobody around.
"I was considering going only because nobody was going to be in the office," Botts, who represents Ward 2, said. "It's just crazy."
The office is located at 699 Boylston St., also known as 1 Exeter Plaza. Bott's office is on an upper floor, but he walks by the shops at street level. From the pictures and videos he's seeing right now as this story unfolds, Botts said he can clearly see that the first floor of his building has blown out windows.
The company tells employees they can take the day off, but the office is open for employees to watch the Boston Marathon since it's right at the finish line. The upper balcony, which is where employees would go to view the race, is now being broadcast on TV as news helicopters provide aerial views of the crime scene.
Botts said he just got an e-mail from the company advising workers that the office will most likely be closed tomorrow. He usually works from home on Tueday, so he's not sure if he'll be going in on Wednesday.
The building is also home to the Portuguese Consulate and a number of financial companies, Botts said. On the ground floor is a candy store and Marathon Sports.
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