Businesses near Glen Burnie's Empire Towers cleared to reopen after stabilization work

Neighboring businesses near the Empire Towers building in Glen Burnie can reopen after officials determined the structure is stable enough and no longer at risk of further collapse.

Attorneys for the building's management said the second phase of emergency stabilization work has been completed, more than three months after the office building was evacuated when unpermitted work in the parking garage caused the structure to shift.

The incident happened on July 9, trapping approximately 100 vehicles inside the garage. Some vehicles have since been removed, but others remain inaccessible.

Contractors will continue working in the parking garage over the next four to six weeks before tenants can enter the Empire Towers building to retrieve their belongings, attorneys said. More permanent repairs are planned for next year.

Crews are also working to clear a path to remove the remaining vehicles, which are blocked by structural shoring posts.

"We understand the disruption caused by the loss of use of vehicles over the past three months and remain committed to removing as many vehicles as possible," the attorneys said.

Last month, attorneys said nearly half of the vehicles in the garage could be safely removed. Those vehicles were located in areas where crews could access them before additional lateral bracing was installed. The additional supports are expected to make removing the remaining vehicles more difficult.

Attorneys said that 48 vehicles have been removed and 41 still remain in the parking garage.

"We appreciate the continued cooperation with Anne Arundel County and are grateful for the dedication of our structural engineers and contractors throughout this complex stabilization effort," the attorneys said.