Demolition planned for collapsed parking garage in Philly

Demolition is expected to take place on Friday of a parking garage that partially collapsed earlier this week in Philadelphia’s Gray Ferry neighborhood.

The collapse killed one person, and while two others are missing, officials said they are presumed dead.

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The mayor announced on Thursday night that crews were planning to demolish the parking garage at some point on Friday with city leaders explaining that the structure is still unstable.

Crews worked for hours on Friday, April 10 to assemble the crane that will help control the demolition of the structure.

Once demolition begins, the city’s Office of Emergency Management is warning neighbors to expect noise and lots of activity.

Officials are also recommending that neighbors keep their windows closed.

Once the demolition happens, officials say they can start trying to recover the bodies of the two workers presumed dead.

CHOP parking garage collapse

The collapse happened near the intersection of 30th Street and Grays Ferry Avenue in Philadelphia on Wednesday, April 8 at 2:17 p.m. and killed at least one other person and injured two others, officials have said.

Two others had been considered unaccounted for and then presumed dead on Thursday night, according to Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker.

Officials said the collapse occurred after a concrete segment failed while it was being installed.

The parking garage is part of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s plan to expand employee parking, which has sparked controversy.

Back in February, local residents protested the construction of the garage, claiming it would increase traffic congestion, harm the environment and affect public health.

However, after the collapse on Wednesday, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said the building had all the needed inspections and the project had all eight required permits for construction and they were all up to date.

In fact, NBC10’s Investigators took a look at HSC Builders & Construction Managers, the company tasked with this construction project, and did not find any major lawsuits or violations.

HSC Builders & Construction Managers released the following statement:

“HSC Builders and Construction Managers is devastated by the stair tower collapse at the CHOP project on April 8, 2026. We express our deepest sympathies for the injured and deceased workers and their families. We make significant efforts each and every day to ensure safe and secure jobsites for our workers, subcontractors and the public in general. We have never experienced a collapse or failure in the company’s history. Our immediate mission is to do whatever we can to aid the deceased workers and their families. We acknowledge and greatly appreciate the leadership and extraordinary efforts of Mayor Parker, the team at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the City of Philadelphia and Authorities having jurisdiction. We continue to gather all relevant information to better understand what caused the failure. We will provide updates as additional information becomes available.”

Early Thursday, PAWS Philly, who have a shelter/clinic next to the parking garage said that no animals were harmed in the collapse and had been evacuated.

Friend of missing worker shares heartbreak

NBC10 spoke with a close friend of one of the people presumed dead who says they used to talk every day for years, but that changed on Wednesday.

“He texted me early on Tuesday morning on his way to work, and that’s when he started the job at that project on Grays Ferry Avenue,” John McCarthy explained.

McCarthy is a fellow Ironworkers union member but is part of a different local group.

“His son just turned 13 last week and he has a daughter nine years old,” McCarthy said.

Workers held a vigil before attaching an Ironworkers Local 401 flag on a crane at the collapse site.

The international Ironworkers union released a statement on Friday regarding the garage collapse that reads:
“It is with great sorrow that we confirm the loss of three members due to injuries sustained in the Gray’s Ferry project in south Philadelphia. Our hearts and prayers are with their families and loved ones during this unimaginable time. We are working closely with Local 401 to ensure that every available resource and support is accessible to those affected. At this time the families have requested privacy and respect as they grieve. Please honor this request. Iron Workers International will not be making any further statements due to the ongoing OSHA investigation.“

For the latest updates from the city of Philadelphia on the collapse, please click here.

This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.

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