Building Collapse On South Boston Development Site Injures 3 Construction Workers

Taylor Driscoll, Bisnow Boston
A Boston EMS worker on the site of the Boston Edison power plant after Wednesday's partial building collapse.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Boston Emergency Medical Services
A Boston Ems Worker On The Site Of The Boston Edison Power Plant After Wednesday's Partial Building Collapse.

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.

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's Boston Newsletters
Related Stories

Philly Retail Momentum Spills From Rittenhouse Into Northern Liberties

How Long Island Projects Can Cut Through Red Tape And Community Opposition To Cross The Finish Line

'Redefining Industry Standards': RCG's 3-Pronged Approach To Building Automation

Boston Property Owners Raise Alarms About Cost Of Electric-Building Push

Philly's Big-Box Warehouse Owners Subdivide Spaces After Developing 'The Wrong-Size Buildings'

King Of Prussia Pursues Stadium To Anchor $200M Mixed-Use Complex

Clarion Under Contract To Sell 18-Story Seaport Office Tower

Boca Raton's New Leaders Throwing 'All Kinds Of Curveballs' At Developers

Developer Lands Construction Loan For Bristol Industrial Project: The Philadelphia Deal Sheet

How A New Financing Model Helps Spur More Mixed-Income Housing

Law Firm Relocating To South Station Tower: The Boston Deal Sheet

NYC Stops Construction On Another Office-To-Residential Conversion As Inspectors Descend On Job Sites