Crews remove 19 vehicles from Empire Towers garage after months-long wait

Attorneys for the owners of Empire Towers say about half of the vehicles trapped for months inside the building's underground parking garage can be safely removed.

Workers began removing vehicles from the garage Monday. By Tuesday afternoon, 19 vehicles had been removed.

An estimated 100 vehicles have been trapped inside the parking garage since July 9, after Empire Towers in Glen Burnie, Maryland, was evacuated when unpermitted work in the garage caused the structure to shift.  

An estimated 100 vehicles have been trapped inside the garage since July 9, when Empire Towers in Glen Burnie was evacuated after unpermitted work in the garage caused the structure to shift.

Building management said the vehicles being removed are positioned in areas where they can be safely accessed before additional lateral bracing is installed. That work is expected to make it more difficult to remove the remaining vehicles.

"The removal plan was carefully developed by our structural engineers in conjunction with the construction personnel removing the vehicles," Empire Towers management said in a statement to CBS News Baltimore.

CBS News Baltimore was at Empire Towers on Monday as workers entered the garage and drove vehicles out. The cars were taken to a nearby parking lot off Ritchie Highway, where workers appeared to be documenting the vehicles and monitoring the lot.

Liam McGeehan, whose car has been trapped inside the garage for months, said vehicle owners are required to sign a three-page release form from Structural Preservation Systems LLC, the company handling the removals.

The form asks vehicle owners to agree not to hold Structural Preservation Systems responsible for potential damage that occurred between the initial incident in July and the vehicle's removal.

Financial assistance approved

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved his request for a declaration allowing eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and private nonprofit organizations affected by the Empire Towers structural emergency to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans.

The declaration provides access to low-interest loans to help eligible organizations address financial losses related to the structural emergency.

EIDL assistance can be used for ordinary and necessary operating expenses, including payroll, fixed debts, accounts payable and utilities. Eligible organizations do not need to have suffered physical property damage to qualify.

Eligible small businesses can apply for loans of up to $2 million, with interest rates of 4% for businesses and 3.625% for nonprofits and repayment terms of up to 30 years.

Payments are deferred for the first 12 months following the initial loan disbursement, and interest does not accrue during that period.

"Anne Arundel County's local businesses were profoundly impacted by the structural emergency at Empire Towers," Moore said. "This SBA assistance means critical resources are available for eligible businesses as they navigate the economic impacts of this incident, strengthening our local economy and supporting our Maryland communities. In the face of emergency, our administration is committed to ensuring Maryland communities have access to the tools and support they need during times of disruption."

Last month, an email sent to tenants said a $3,000 payment would be provided to help cover transportation expenses for people whose vehicles have been trapped in the parking garage.

People who have been without a vehicle for weeks because of work on the parking garage were asked to email empiretowers@rosenbergmartin.com with their name, address, email address, phone number, tenant name and suite number, along with a description of their vehicle, including its make, color, year, model and license plate number, and the vehicle's location.