Building Collapse On South Boston Development Site Injures 3 Construction Workers
A partial collapse occurred Wednesday afternoon at the Boston Edison power plant in South Boston, the site of a major redevelopment, sending three construction workers to the hospital.
The collapse happened around 2 p.m. with police, fire and ambulance crews racing to the scene. Boston Emergency Medical Services rushed the three workers to nearby hospitals, The Boston Globe reported. An EMS spokesperson told Bisnow Thursday the agency doesn’t have an update on the condition of the workers.
Last year, Hilco Redevelopment Partners and Redgate received approval to redevelop the power plant. The partnership began on the plant in December to make way for an ambitious mixed-use project spanning over 1.68M SF.
The two companies bought the site in April 2016 for $24M from energy company Exelon Corp. The plan calls for 636 housing units, 860K SF of mixed-use space, a 240-room hotel and 5.7 acres of community open space.
“The safety of the workers on site and in the surrounding areas is our top priority. We are thankful for the swift response from Boston emergency services,” a spokesperson for Hilco said to the Globe.
Boston-based construction company Suffolk managed the construction in what was to be a 20-month-long deconstruction of the plant.
“Our thoughts are with the individuals who were injured, along with their families," Suffolk said in a statement to the Globe. "We are currently on site working closely with OSHA, our subcontractor and the local authorities to determine the cause of this incident and confirm the safety of the site."
This collapse was the second one to take place this spring. In March, another collapse occurred in the Government Center garage; it killed one worker. The string of incidents have led some to question safety measures taken on construction sites in the city.
“I’m angry we’re here again at another work site with another major incident,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said at a Wednesday evening press conference, according to the Globe. “It cannot be a question whether your family member can come home at night or whether they will be safe on the job.”
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Boston Inspectional Services are still investigating what caused the collapse. Wu said permits for the project have been temporarily paused during the investigation.
