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ONE of Manhattan\u2019s most exclusive skyscrapers \u2013 once hailed as the jewel of Billionaire\u2019s Row \u2013 is now showing signs of alarming decay.<\/p>\n
The pristine white facade of 432 Park Avenue, a 96-floor, nearly 1,400-ft luxury<\/a> tower, is reportedly riddled with cracks, splits and missing chunks of concrete.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for The US Sun newsletter\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThank you!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n The luxury supertall condo tower, 432 Park Avenue, stands in Midtown ManhattanCredit: Getty<\/p>\n It\u2019s now showing signs of alarming decayCredit: DOB \/Department of Building NYC<\/p>\n The building is reportedly riddled with cracks, splits and missing chunks of concreteCredit: DOB \/Department of Building NYC<\/p>\n This has sparked fear among engineers as they say the building could \u201chail concrete\u201d as pieces could eventually fall onto the floor. <\/p>\n Experts say that without a $160 million overhaul, the tower<\/a> could deteriorate so badly that it becomes \u201cuninhabitable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cChunks of concrete will fall off, and windows will start loosening up,\u201d warned structural engineer Steve Bongiorno.<\/p>\n \u201cThe building just becomes uninhabitable.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t GIANT ERROR<\/p>\n New York Giant takes ‘responsibility’ for failed plays in Denver Broncos loss<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MEGA BOX<\/p>\n Construction BEGINS on \u2018world’s biggest building\u2019 that can fit 20 Empire States<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n The striking white concrete design, once a symbol of minimalist perfection, has become a potential hazard. <\/p>\n Completed in 2015, 432 Park Avenue was meant to redefine luxury living, with 125 ultra-luxury apartments offering panoramic views over Central Park and beyond.<\/p>\n Its glamorous residents have included Jennifer Lopez<\/a>, Alex Rodriguez<\/a>, and Saudi royalty.<\/p>\n Apartments in the tower still list for eye-watering sums \u2013 from $10.5 million for a two-bedroom on the 52nd floor to a $55 million six-bedroom penthouse, according to StreetEasy.<\/p>\n But behind its gleaming exterior, residents have faced a catalogue of problems<\/p>\n Tenants have complained of creaking walls, leaking ceilings, swaying floors and malfunctioning elevators \u2013 all within years of moving in. <\/p>\n The building\u2019s board and developers, including Macklowe Properties, CIM Group, and WSP, have been locked in ongoing legal battles over who is responsible.<\/p>\n Now, engineers fear the tower\u2019s signature white concrete may have its fatal flaw. <\/p>\n According to the New York Times<\/a>, documents show the material was prone to cracking even before the skyscraper was built.<\/p>\n Emails from 2012 reveal internal warnings between engineers and architects urging the developers to rethink their design.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are going down a dangerous and slippery path that I believe will eventually lead to failure and lawsuits to come,\u201d wrote Jim Herr, a director at Rafael Vi\u00f1oly Architects, the firm behind the design.<\/p>\n But, developers ahead anyway \u2013 determined to maintain the tower\u2019s clean white aesthetic. <\/p>\n In one email, a WSP engineer summed up the trade-off bluntly: \u201cColor or cracks.\u201d<\/p>\n Photos of the building\u2019s exterior show multiple repaired fissures \u2014 and in some spots, entire chunks of the facade appear to have broken away.<\/p>\n Inspectors from the Department of Buildings (DOB) confirmed that 432 Park passed safety checks and had \u201cno unsafe conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n The last facade inspection was completed in 2023, and officials said it is common for \u201csmall amounts of loose materials\u201d to be removed during such reviews.<\/p>\n Tenants have complained of creaking walls, leaking ceilings, swaying floors and malfunctioning elevators \u2013 all within years of moving inCredit: Getty<\/p>\n Aerial view of 432 Park Avenue construction, the tallest residential building in the world, in New york CityCredit: Getty \u2013 Contributor<\/p>\n Still, many engineers are alarmed by how rapidly the structure has deteriorated.<\/p>\n \u201cA 10-year-old building should not be showing that level of deterioration,\u201d said Jose Torero, head of Civil Engineering at University College London<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cNobody can argue that that is not a failure.\u201d<\/p>\n Residents are now considering a three-year, $160 million renovation to repair the damage and prevent future problems.<\/p>\n Despite that, developers insist the concerns are overblown. <\/p>\n CIM Group, one of the companies behind the project, dismissed the reports as \u201cbaseless.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe tower was designed and built by world-class professionals and is considered safe by inspectors,\u201d said spokeswoman Jami Schlicher.<\/p>\n \u201cAllegations that developers ignored problems are categorically untrue, defamatory and yet another misstep by the board that will drive down property values.\u201d<\/p>\n But engineers who\u2019ve studied the building warn that the issues could worsen if not fixed soon.<\/p>\n \u201cThe building is being stressed beyond what was intended,\u201d Bongiorno said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no sidewalk shed that\u2019s going to protect you from chunks of concrete popping off a 1,400-foot building.\u201d<\/p>\n The story of 432 Park Avenue has become a tale of ambition over practicality.<\/p>\n Built with a slenderness ratio of 15:1 \u2013 compared to the Empire State Building\u2019s 3:1 \u2013 the tower pushed engineering limits to achieve its ultra-slim design.<\/p>\n It was meant to be a triumph of modern architecture<\/a> \u2013 a pure, white monument to wealth and innovation.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t SALTY GOODBYE<\/p>\n Popular fast food chain off-loads rival in $115 million deal<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/99-misses-point-attempt-punter-1032548616_ebc21b.jpg\"\/)
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