Despite the warning from the Ministry of Construction to take crane operators about weather-related safety measures, “the defendants … went to the tower crane of the project for which they were responsible,” the complaint said.
Central Park Bike Tours, which operates near West 58th Street, said it lost six business days because people couldn’t walk on that street and sued the developer for $ 150,000 in December.
JDS alleged that as a result of the incident, it also lost business such as potential condominium sales and other separate opportunities. “Ironically, JDS also charged additional crane rental fees for the project,” the complaint read.
The 1,400-foot luxury apartment tower is the third tallest building in the city, acclaimed for its design and a daunting undertaking for the developer.
The project faced numerous problems prior to the crane incident, including rising construction costs that resulted in more than $ 60 million in capital calls, loan defaults, investor lawsuits, and city concerns over non-union employment.
Similar accidents had plagued the project. In January 2019, scaffolding on the building came loose and dropped broken glass onto the street below, resulting in a violation and a work stoppage by the Ministry of Construction.
A year later, a terracotta block fell from the building and hit the roof of a passing taxi, causing further road closures. A glass facade fell on the street last November and a pane of glass fell off the building the following month.
No one was injured in any of the incidents.
The building currently has 22 open Ministry of Buildings violations, and according to city records, there will be a partial work freeze on the project as of the December events.
A representative from US Crane & Rigging LLC declined to comment.
