MILWAUKEE — Part of an old warehouse building collapsed Monday in Milwaukee's Harbor View neighborhood, prompting a response from emergency crews and raising concerns about the risk of further collapse.
The partial collapse happened on the west side of the National Warehouse Corporation building near Bruce and Water streets. The first, second, and third stories of the building came down. The building sits empty on that side, and people working on the east side were evacuated safely. No injuries were reported.
Patrick Davis works just across the street from the building. He was on break when the collapse happened.
"I was out here smoking a cigarette, and next thing I know the whole thing was just like BOOM!" Davis said.
"It sounded like an explosion! To me it did. It sounded like an explosion! It scared me. I ran back in the building," Davis said.
The Milwaukee Fire and Police departments responded and secured the area. We Energies and the city's Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS) also responded.
Milwaukee Fire Department Assistant Chief of Operations Schuyler Bolett said officials are now working on a plan to safely bring the building down.
"It's obvious that this building can't kind of stay in the condition that it's in at this time. So we're working on a plan with DNS and building property owners to figure out what our next steps will be to get the building down and do it safely and make sure everyone around here stays safe," Bolett said.
Fire officials say the risk of additional floors collapsing remains a concern. Nearby resident Banjo Zysk said the collapse has him worried, particularly because other old vacant warehouses sit in the area.
"It doesn't necessarily shock me, but it does make me way more worried now, especially biking through this area because again the bike path is right on that curve there. If that part of the building collapsed now, I feel like I should worry a bit more that maybe there's going to be debris falling off of that," Zysk said.
Officials are asking the public to avoid the area and keep a safe distance as the investigation continues.
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