One of Manhattan's tallest and fanciest towers is riddled with cracks — and some engineers reportedly fear chunks of concrete could rain down on Midtown's sidewalks if a $160 million renovation isn't done.
The white concrete facade of 432 Park Ave. — the nearly 1,400-foot-tall, 96-story “Billionaires' Row” tower that soars high above the Midtown skyline — has been left splintered, cracked and missing parts since its completion in 2015, an alarming New York Times study found Sunday.
And the problem is so bad that the supertall skyscraper could remain “uninhabitable” if a major restoration isn't completed soon, an expert told the outlet.
“Chunks of concrete will fall off and the windows will start to loosen,” said structural engineer Steve Bongiorno, warning that water could seep into the cracks and destroy the building from the inside out.
“You can't ride the elevators, mechanical systems fail, pipe connections break and there are water leaks everywhere,” Bongiorno said.
“The building simply becomes uninhabitable.”
The 125 units at 432 Park Ave. – which offer breathtaking views of Central Park, the Big Apple and beyond and have access to a private restaurant – generated $2.5 billion in sales just three years after opening, attracting celebrities such as Jennifor Lopez, Alex Rodriguez and Saudi royals.
According to StreetEasy, available apartments range from a two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath apartment on the 52nd floor for $10.5 million to a palatial six-bedroom, six-full-bath, two-bath apartment for a whopping $55 million.
However, the impressive building has been plagued with problems for several years.
Residents have complained that the Superall rocks and groans in the wind like a ship at sea, and that leaks, power outages and elevator problems have continued since they moved in.
These issues have led to ongoing litigation between the construction management and the developers, including Macklowe Properties, WSP and CIM Group.
However, the façade issues were reportedly already known risks while the building was still under construction – as the striking white concrete chosen was prone to cracking. The developers went ahead anyway because they were determined not to compromise on their design vision, the Times reported.
“You are taking a dangerous and delicate path that I believe will ultimately lead to failure and lawsuits,” said Jim Herr, principal of one of the building’s chief designers, Rafael Viñoly, in a 2012 email obtained by the Times.
It was one of several in a thread in which designers and engineers argued over the white concrete, with some arguing that it would later become a problem while others stubbornly insisted on using the problematic material without compromise.
“Paint or cracks,” says another email in the thread from a WSP engineer, explaining that there are two possibilities, according to the Times.
Photos of the exterior of 432 Park Ave. show numerous cracks in the concrete facade, many of which appear to have been repaired or filled.
But in some places, entire parts of the facade – from extremely high floors – appear to have broken away from the structure.
It is common for “small amounts of loose material” to be removed from facades during inspections, the Department of Buildings told the Times, noting that 432 Park Ave. inspections were passed and no unsafe conditions were identified.
The DOB's final facade inspection at 432 Park Ave. took place in 2023, the authority said.
The building's residents have been busy making repairs. Emails obtained by The Times show a three-year, $160 million renovation is on the table to repair current damage and guard against future problems.
432 Park Ave. appears to have been fully compliant, the Times reported – adding that there was no risk of collapse.
Still, some engineers are concerned about how much appears to have happened to the building in just 10 years of exposure to the elements, the Times said.
“A 10-year-old building shouldn’t have this level of decay,” said Jose Torero, an engineering expert at University College London.
And Bongiorno fears that if nothing is done, it could be innocent bystanders on the streets who get hurt.
“The building is being stressed beyond what was intended,” Bongiorno said. “There is no sidewalk shed to protect you from chunks of concrete bouncing off a 1,400-foot building.”
Macklowe Properties and WSP did not respond to requests for comment Monday.
CIM Group called the damage reports and need for repairs “baseless” in a statement to the Times and said allegations that developers ignored problems were “categorically untrue, defamatory and another misstep by the board that will drive down property values.”