A memorial for the hundreds of people killed last week in a roof collapse in Santo Domingo continues to grow in the square outside the United Palace Theatre in Washington Heights.

“It’s devastating. It’s so big, it’s like the roof fell on all of us,” said Jorge “Tuto” Taveras, director of content creation at the United Palace Theatre.

What You Need To Know

  • The United Palace Theatre is honoring the legacy of Dominican music legend Rubby Pérez, who performed there many times

  • Pérez performed at La Nueva España restaurant in Washington Heights just days before he was killed at the Jet Set Nightclub in Santo Domingo

  • Officials have not determined what caused the collapse, which killed at least 230 people

Taveras, who is also a musician, has performed at the theater, which has hosted major Latino artists over the years — including Rubby Pérez, a legend in the Dominican music world. 

Pérez was performing at the Jet Set Club in Santo Domingo on April 8 when the roof collapsed, killing him and hundreds of others. Taveras had performed with Pérez in the past.

“People that died were close to us — the musicians in that band — I played with them. It’s like it could have been me. It could’ve been my daughter,” Taveras said.

He showed NY1 video of Pérez performing at the theater years ago.

“I think in this biz, we have a lot of people that are not so clean-hearted. Their hearts are not so white. Rubby wasn’t one of those. His heart was light. He was loved by everybody,” Taveras said.

Just a few blocks away, the staff at La Nueva España restaurant are also grieving the loss. Pérez had performed there just days before the collapse. Flyers for the event are still taped to the restaurant’s windows. It was his final performance in New York.

“We can’t describe this night. Amazing. He was real kind. Everybody was enjoying it,” said Yrlanda Jimenez, who works at the restaurant.

“To know that he was coming — a legend. We grew up listening to his songs. We sang, we cried, we danced. And then the next thing is, like, he’s not here,” said Eva Santos, the daughter of the restaurant’s owner.

La Nueva España has created a small memorial outside the restaurant in honor of Pérez and the hundreds of other victims — people who were simply enjoying music with friends and family.

“Take a step back and live life to the fullest. I think that’s something we’re learning from this event — because we know when we’re leaving home, but we never know when we’re coming back,” Santos said.