Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Fatally Fulfilled Expectations in Crane Collapse
By
Dave Hogarty
Published Jun 1, 2008
Modified Jun 1, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Dave Hogarty
Published Jun 1, 2008
Modified Jun 1, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Photograph of onlookers watching the scene yesterday at 331 East 91 Street by Diane Bondareff/AP
Friday's fatal crane collapse at East 91st St. and First Avenue was a horrible shock, but the sad truth is that neighborhood residents had been worried about the crane for a while.
Much like the residents where a crane on East 51st Street collapsed on March 15, damaging buildings, completely leveling a townhouse and killing seven people, neighbors near the under-construction Azure condominium (over 30 stories planned) were concerned. One woman who lives in 354 East 91st Street, a 23-story building that was damaged and evacuated due to the collapse, told the NY Times she called 311 to complain about the crane, “I was scared for weeks and weeks. It wasn’t a matter of if but when.”
Another resident (who also previously called 311 to complain) said to the Daily News, "A lot of people felt sketchy about the crane. We can put a space station into space, but we can't figure out how to make a crane safe."
For all the residents' fears, the tragedy and human toll are the cost of the city's huge building boom, which many believe is the city's future. However, some local lawmakers think enough is enough. City Council member Jessica Lappin, who represents the district of both crane collapses, said, "I don't want to hear from more constituents that they're afraid to sit on their couches," and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said, "Too many New Yorkers find themselves worried that the construction boom in New York is endangering their safety."
Tagged
building boom
crane collapse
fear
ues
upper east side
victims
Dave Hogarty
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 4:22 p.m. ET
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
News
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
By
Clayton Guse
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .