Buildings
NYC Billionaires’ Row Tower Could Need $160M Fix Amid Cracking
A structural engineer warns “chunks of concrete will fall off, and windows will start loosening up”
The New York Times reported that several emails obtained suggested that developers new the risks of cracks on the building’s facade early on.
A cracking and crumbling New York City tower could leave the building “uninhabitable,” according to engineers who estimate that a $160 million renovation might be needed to fix 432 Park Avenue's striking white concrete facade.
Independent structural engineer Steve Bongiorno told the New York Times that water could begin seeping into the cracks and compromising the $1.3-billion development’s structural integrity from the inside out, which could pose a risk to pedestrians and the tower’s residents, who have shelled out up to $20 million for some luxury units.
“Chunks of concrete will fall off, and windows will start loosening up,” explained Bongiorno, who was not involved with the project. “You can’t take the elevators, mechanical systems start to fail, pipe joints start to break and you get water leaks all over the place.”
ENR previously reported that the team behind the development went to great pains to develop its exterior face, which is part of the building's exterior concrete frame, with a specialty mix of Portland cement whose concrete will keep its white luster as it cures—which Andreas Tselebidis, then-director of sustainable concrete technology and solutions for chemical supplier BASF Corp., called "a complete engineered solution" in a 2015 ENR interview. Tasked with designing the concrete mix to meet the required compressive strength, from 14,000 psi for the lower floors to 10,000 psi for the upper floors, Tselebidis said the job was one of his most challenging ever, like creating “a recipe for a very fussy cake.”
Now residents at 432 Park Avenue tower fear the “fussy cake," or some other part of the structural exterior system, is falling, inciting an ongoing legal battles between the building’s board and developers—including Macklowe Properties, WSP and CIM Group—over complaints building swaying, groaning, power outages and other “defects.”
However, NYT reported that several emails obtained suggested that developers knew the risks of cracks early on, as one WSP engineer warned in an email they had two options: “color or cracks.”
In another 2012 email obtained by NYT, Jim Herr, firm director at Rafael Viñoly Architects warned, “They are going down a dangerous and slippery path that I believe will eventually lead to failure and lawsuits to come.”
ENR's requests for comments from Rafael Viñoly Architects and WSP had not been returned at press time.
In comments to NYT, Bongiorno said the building “is being stressed beyond what was intended.” He added, “There’s no sidewalk shed that’s going to protect you from chunks of concrete popping off a 1,400-ft building.”
In a statement to NYT, CIM Group called reports of 432 Park Avenue’s needing repairs “baseless” and said allegations that developers ignored problems were “categorically untrue, defamatory and yet another misstep by the board that will drive down property values.”
Editor's note: A previous version of this story referred to 432 Park's exterior as a facade. It is, rather, a load-bearing, concrete exoskeleton.
