Staff at BCLP are unable to work in their Manchester office three months after a massive crack forced them to evacuate the building. 

Police closed off the road behind 76 King Street in November last year after a fracture appeared across the top of the building when strong winds blew a fence into it. Fire crews told tenants to leave as the crack turned into a split in the bricks which sent the top floor sliding towards the DKNY store next door.


tower

How it looked (how it really looked)


As repairs were carried out, BCLP staff were housed in temporary accommodation down the road. A source said it was "sub-par", although the grade-II listed building, at 56 King Street, looks nice in pictures. 

All of the other tenants were back in the cracked building by January, but BCLP has still not returned because it is in a dispute with the landlord, RollOnFriday understands. "Staff are becoming frustrated at the situation", said a source, adding, "It's all a little embarrassing for the #1 RE firm in the country".

It's less embarrassing if BCLP is seeking assurances that its workers aren't going to be crushed by falling masonry, although the firm did not respond to a request for comment.

Neither did the landlord, HPPUT, which is part of the Daily Mail & General Trust pensions scheme. Given that it purchased the building just two months before the crack appeared, for £18.25 million, its lawyers are presumably sweatily checking the indemnity schedule.

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Comments

ShootyMcShootyface 01 March 19 09:30

... that must have been one hell of a fence.

Or the building is made of squeezy cheese. 

Anonymous 01 March 19 09:31

The crack at the office of my bronze medallion firm helps me get through the day. In fact, there at least two different types of crack that really help. 

Hey Nonny Nonny 01 March 19 15:54

Judging by the unanimous "downvotes" on the two comments above, one can see that there is not much love in the world today. One is tempted to make another pun based on "crack", but that will have to wait (until just after dawn). 

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