Columbus Square Crane Crash Keeps Locals on Edge

By Peggy Truong
Sounds of drills, jackhammers and truck engines have been part of the Upper West Side construction spectacle across from the new Whole Foods grocery store on Columbus Avenue for quite some time. Now residents near the construction site, which spans from West 97th to West 100th streets, have one more item to add to the list: crane accidents.

On Oct. 8 a stop-work order was assigned to the construction site named Columbus Square after the dismantling of a crane crushed part of the pedestrian walkway at West 97th and Columbus Avenue. No one was injured from the accident.

Birtha Hope has lived in the neighborhood for more than 35 years. Hope, 72, said when new buildings were being constructed in the West 70s, there was a rush to build and as a result, regulations were met at a minimum. She said the environment around the Columbus Square project feels familiar.

“It’s just one of those things. I’ve been expecting an accident anytime, anywhere,” said Hope, who walks along Columbus Avenue once or twice a week to meet friends. Hope, a music teacher, said she thinks the city doesn’t have enough inspectors and workers are not properly trained.

“My gut’s telling me to avoid that side of the street for now,” said Hope.

Two crane accidents that killed nine people caused an uproar in the city last year. In May 2008, two workers in the Upper East Side were killed after a crane collapsed. That collapse happened just two months after another Upper East Side crane accident killed seven people. The uproar after the first accident led to stricter safety rules — the city initially required that an inspector be on site every time a crane was lifted in the air — though those rules were later revised. The second accident inspired another set of rules about maintaining and checking on cranes.

The rules still haven’t reassured some New Yorkers that it’s safe to walk under cranes in the city.

For Sasha Nisbet, 28, the construction site has made her think twice about where she walks her golden retriever. On a recent afternoon, Nisbet found herself staring at one of the cranes on Columbus Avenue because it appeared to be operating at an unusually high level.

“I saw the crane and heard a lot of yelling from the site. I got really nervous and knew I had to get out of that area. It just made me nervous,” said Nisbet, who lives on West 95th Street. “I know a lot of people in the community are upset about these buildings,” said Nisbet.

Columbus Square site safety manager Anthony Mancusi said a mechanical failure in the locking system caused part of the crane apparatus to land on the pedestrian walkway on Oct. 8. City officials, including Michael Alacha from the New York City Department of Buildings, reviewed the site of the accident last Friday. According to Mancusi, the general consensus was that the site was safe again and construction plans were back on track.

“We have safety personnel in place every day to hold pedestrians, to hold vehicles, just like we did when the crane accident happened. We’re prepared,” said Mancusi.

The construction is scheduled to produce five residential towers and more than 320,000 square feet of retail space by August 2010. Ed Regan, 75, said both the construction and eventual completion are good additions for the neighborhood. “It’s gotten people to work and more people will work later on. The site is great. I just marvel at it sometimes,” said Regan.

In the next few weeks, big names like T.J. Maxx, Michaels Stores and Bank of America will open their doors, following the footsteps of Whole Foods. Regan, a part-time tax preparer, passes by the up-and-coming store windows and construction site on weekdays to go to the library. While he didn’t see the crane accident, Regan said he’s not surprised it happened.

“Let’s face it, construction is a part of the city,” said Regan.

(photo by Avi)