19 cars removed from Empire Towers garage in Glen Burnie after two months trapped
By Kim Dacey
Click here for updates on this story
GLEN BURNIE, Md. (WBAL) — Lawyers for Empire Towers confirmed that vehicles trapped in the parking garage since July are being removed, with 19 cars already moved out as of Tuesday afternoon.
“I’m hopeful that means there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” Emily Kneebone said.
Kneebone, who worked in the building, watched online as cars were removed Monday from the garage two months after they became trapped.
She was inside the building when it was evacuated in July after crews determined it had become structurally unsound during construction work. Since then, no one has been allowed back inside, and vehicles have remained inaccessible as crews work to stabilize the structure.
“It’s been extremely frustrating not having access to a vehicle regularly,” Kneebone said. “We’re a two-car household. We both commute to work, my husband and I both, so to borrow cars from other people or just being stranded and stuck has been extremely frustrating.”
Kneebone has been driving her parents’ car for months and expressed frustration over the lack of communication from the county and Empire Towers’ owners.
She said email updates have been infrequent, and her car remains blocked by shoring posts, meaning it won’t be removed anytime soon.
“I’d love to be able to get my vehicle back,” Kneebone said. “If there are any issues because it sat for so long, I hope they would cover that. Then I’d love to get all our stuff back from our office.”
The Maryland Insurance Administration recently announced a virtual information session Thursday for those affected, but Kneebone said her insurance company won’t cover any costs because her car isn’t damaged.
“I think the building’s insurance should be responsible,” Kneebone said. “Normally, when you’re in an auto accident—we do those at my work—if you’re in an auto accident, it’s the at-fault party that’s in charge of covering any type of thing.”
Lawyers for Empire Towers stated in their latest email to tenants that this phase of construction is expected to be completed in four weeks.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.