Safety zone expands around structurally unsafe Glen Burnie office tower
One of Anne Arundel County's tallest buildings remains a danger to the public, as of Saturday evening.
Fire officials told WJZ Investigates the iconic Empire Towers in Glen Burnie is structurally unsound, and there is no immediate timetable for reopening roads or the building itself.
Community concerns
For most of Bill Schmidt's life, Empire Towers has been towering above Crain and Ritchie Highways.
The building, which is more than 50 years old, is now considered dangerous.
"God puts us here, but he doesn't want anybody taken away by a building falling down on them," Schmidt told WJZ as he did some shopping nearby.
He said safety is paramount for the public.
"I think the engineers and all the people doing the work have all the answers, and that should come out soon," Schmidt said.
Jeannie Houser remembers traffic being choked off when the emergency first unfolded. She has been inside Empire Towers many times and gives blood at the Red Cross there.
"I just hope nothing happens to where they have to tear the building down, and I just hope it can be fixed because it's a very nice building," she said. "It looks like they're taking every precaution. I hope they do, and I hope that everyone gets back to their jobs there. It affects a lot of the employment."
What happened?
The building was evacuated by the fire department on Thursday afternoon.
On Friday, structural engineers confirmed fears that it is not stable enough to allow people inside for the foreseeable future.
They said construction work in the parking garage compromised the office building—exposing rebar and causing the garage's ceiling to sag.
Tenants told WJZ that loud, disruptive construction had been underway for weeks.
"It's the first time there have been problems with this building, but for five weeks, we've heard nothing but constant jackhammering. They are fixing the rebar and the concrete of the building here," said tenant and financial advisor Steven Dennenmann.
Expanded safety perimeter
The safety zone is now 150 feet around the building, roughly one and a half times Empire Towers' ten-story height.
Several nearby businesses have also been deemed unsafe because of their proximity.
Here is the full text of the latest Anne Arundel County safety alert about the structure, including help available for impacted businesses:
"Anne Arundel County is strongly advising all residents to avoid the area surrounding Empire Towers at 7310 Ritchie Highway, following an assessment of the ongoing structural integrity incident.
Due to the high structural instability risks, the County has established a 150-foot safety perimeter around the building—a distance equal to one and a half times the building's height—based on guidance from structural safety officials.
The Maryland State Highway Administration has implemented a partial lane reduction on southbound Route 2, shifting traffic to maintain one open lane while preserving the safety perimeter, rather than a full closure.
The road closure perimeter has been updated and moved to 6th Avenue, affecting both Crain Highway and southbound Ritchie Highway. Drivers should expect a detour via 8th Avenue and Route 648.
Anne Arundel County recognizes the impact this incident has on businesses in the area. Impacted business owners are encouraged to reach out to the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation at info@aaedc.org.
County departments continue to coordinate closely to reassess safety perimeters, traffic control, and building conditions. Given the evolving nature of this situation, Anne Arundel County will provide updates in real time as new information becomes available."
