Safety perimeter around structurally unsound Empire Towers in Glen Burnie is lifted

The safety perimeter around Empire Towers in Glen Burnie, which was declared structurally unsound in July, has been lifted, Anne Arundel County officials announced Thursday afternoon.

The 150-foot perimeter around the 10-story building at 7310 Ritchie Highway forced some businesses to close and traffic to detour around the potential collapse zone.

Road barricades and pedestrian fencing should be removed by Monday, county officials said in a news release.

Representatives of the building’s owner told county inspectors they had completed a phase of stabilization work Wednesday afternoon, Anne Arundel officials said, and the site was inspected Thursday.

Empire Towers, including the underground parking garage, remains closed. The perimeter of 150 feet is equal to 1 1/2 times the building’s height, which is standard practice for potential collapses.

Contractors working for the building’s owners removed about 50 vehicles from the garage, according to the county, and are working on a plan to remove those that remain.

In September, the U.S. Small Business Administration approved Gov. Wes Moore’s request to provide economic disaster loans to businesses affected by the building’s closure and safety perimeter.

County officials did not say when they anticipate the rest of the building’s remediation work will be complete.

The privately owned building, once the tallest in Anne Arundel County, was evacuated and declared unsafe July 9 after someone called 911 from the building’s garage. The building became unsafe after unpermitted construction work.

Anne Arundel County officials are investigating.

The Banner’s Matti Gellman contributed to this article.