The 150-foot safety perimeter surrounding the Empire Towers has been lifted after Anne Arundel County officials and the building owner said the building is no longer at risk of collapsing.
The 10-story building had been deemed unsafe since early July, when unpermitted construction in the parking garage exposed the rebar inside of the concrete.
On Thursday, traffic was flowing normally on the roadways surrounding the building in Glen Burnie.
“Well that’s good, that’s good,” Glen Burnie resident Ricardo Henriques told WBAL-TV 11 News. “But I was just wondering how many people are still interested in going into that building.”
Representatives for the building owner said crews completed Phase 2 of emergency stabilization work and informed tenants and neighboring businesses that the building “is no longer at risk of collapse.
“We are relieved that neighboring businesses can reopen, roadways can return to normal operations, and our Glen Burnie community can begin moving towards a greater sense of normalcy,” they said in a statement to 11 News.
“Now customers passing by will have better visibility—they can easily see our business here—so I think it’s great news that they’ve opened that up,” Brenda Herrera, who owns a car detailing shop across the road, said.
Herrera said the building’s months-long closure and the designated collapse zone perimeter were hurting business.
“Everything fell apart,” she said. “The number of customers started to drop, and I think most of the neighbors feel the same way.
Emily Kneebone, whose car remains stuck in the garage beneath the building, said the stabilization of the building is a step towards hopefully getting her car back.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” Kneebone said.
Officials from Empire Towers also confirmed they are working with contractors to establish a path to allow the removal of additional vehicles that are currently blocked by structural shoring posts.
“To see it moved again is frustrating as you’re getting into the holiday season… to not have that is a huge burden as well,” Kneebone said about the new timeline.
Empire Towers said it would take four to six weeks for the building to reopen so that tenants can retrieve personal belongings. Permanent repairs are expected next year.
READ MORE:Empire Towers stabilization work completed, roads reopened
CHECK OUT WBAL:Get all the latest Baltimore news, weather and sports. WBAL-TV brings you the best in Maryland news online, anytime.
