A crane attached to One57, the luxury apartment tower under
construction in midtown Manhattan, partially collapsed amid gusts from Hurricane Sandy.
A “number” of buildings near
the site at 157 W. 57th St. have been evacuated, including a hotel, and
city officials have been told not to attempt to secure the crane in the
middle of the storm, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news
conference. The main part of the crane appears to be well- secured to
the tower, he said.
“We just don’t want to risk the lives of
anybody trying to be a hero and securing it at the moment,” he said.
“With the winds as they are, we just can’t secure it now. The best thing
we can do is take precautions. When the winds die down, the engineers
will find a way to secure it.”
The street below is being kept
clear in case something falls, and underground pipes are being shut off
to prevent a fire, according to the mayor.
One57, poised to be the tallest residential property in Manhattan
at 90 stories, is being developed by Extell Development Co. A penthouse
at the building went under contract earlier this year for more than $90
million.
Jeff Dvorett, vice president of development at Extell, declined to comment.
Watch video of the Hurricane Sandy updates and the dangling crane below, after this cut:
