Damage to NYC Fire Museum may get fixed by Disney, which may also be the cause
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HUDSON SQUARE, Manhattan -- It's a landmark that's been a destination for generations of schoolchildren, history buffs, experts and others, but the New York City Fire Museum has been closed for nearly a year, due to structural problems.
The city's law department has now filed a formal summons in State Supreme Court saying that construction on Disney's new production and management building across the street from the nearly 121-year-old museum building is connected to the structural damage, which is apparently extensive.
"You see a brick missing," said Patti Murphy, the executive director of the Fire Museum, as she pointed to some of the fissures and cracks in the exterior of the building, which is a former firehouse. "The deep separation between their building and our building," she said, pointing to a story-tall crack between the museum structure and a building next door, which has not sustained much damage.
The problems extend beyond the Fire Museum's exterior walls. There are also deep cracks in the sidewalk in front of it. The sidewalk is actually part of the roof of the museum's underground storage.
According to the museum, and the city's law department, the damage is the result of construction of the brand new Disney building right across the street from the museum, at 278 Spring St.
The bulk of the damage allegedly happened during the Disney building's construction in May 2024.
"There were crane operations along Spring Street, and the staff was preparing to open the museum," Murphy recounted. "But they heard loud banging, and then the building started to shake and vibrate, and they said that the floor felt soft.
"Simultaneously," she continued, "we had 30 kids on the third floor preparing for a birthday party, so we evacuated the museum out of an abundance of caution."
That was on May 11. It has not been able to reopen for daily operations.
Repairing the issues, and stabilizing the building is estimated to cost about $6 million, according to the law department.
"This filing protects the City’s rights," said a statement from a NYC Law Department spokesperson, "while we work with Disney and its insurers to determine whether we can resolve this matter without further litigation.”
For its part, Disney also issued a statement through a spokesperson:
“We’ve been working with the City of New York to address any damage that may have been caused, and we understand this filing was simply part of a legal process to ensure those conversations can continue.”