Nashville apartment complex suggests residents move due to faulty crane

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Some residents of an apartment building in the Gulch are calling for answers from Yates Construction Company after some at the building had to temporarily evacuate due to safety concerns from a crane with foundation issues hanging over their building.

Last month WSMV4 showed the crane, which sites near Overton Street and Division Street, has foundation issues according to an engineering report. A letter from a structural engineer said the foundation had about two inches of settlement at the two crane legs on the west side of the crane, and the crane should not operate until foundation issues are resolved.

After the WSMV4 story in December, management at The Harlowe temporarily relocated their team offsite and sent an email to residents suggesting they do the same until any issues with the crane were resolved.

“December 21, got an email notification from our apartment, not a mandatory evacuation, but a suggestion that their team had been removed remotely off-site and suggested the residents do so as well until they can get assurance from either construction company management or Metro, whatever needed to be done that the site and crane had been safe for the residents to reside in the building,” one resident who spoke anonymously told WSMV4.

The woman said out of fear she’s been living away from her apartment for about two weeks now.

“We have not gotten assurance and we’re now in January and we’ve been out since then for any of the residents that decided to relocate,” she said.

She’s waiting for assurance from Yates Construction following the report of foundation issues.

“When the wind blows, we’ve had those snowstorms coming, so with all the inclement weather, it’s not giving and reassurance to anybody,” she said.

The woman took her apartment company’s suggestion and temporarily relocated and has been staying at a living space at work.

“If you’ve ever seen a video of what a crane can do to a building, it can cut it like butter,” she said. “The fact that you have the option to either pick up everything and move at the beat of a drum or to rely on the hope of getting a return date that it’s safe, it is really difficult and scary.”

The resident of The Harlowe said this isn’t the first time the construction company has caused Harlowe to temporarily move. She said is also happened in the summer of 2022.

“They had done blasting in the ground which caused what they believed was structural damage to Harlowe. They had immediately evacuated us. That was a formal evacuation. They put us up in hotels,” she said.

She said Yates Construction needs to take action.

“I’d like to just see any type of communication or inspections done from the people that can answer to the residents. This is not fair,” she said.

For residents who decided to temporarily relocate, the apartment management company is giving them a credit from Dec. 21 to Jan. 15.

A spokesperson for Yates Construction told WSMV4 on Thursday said the crane is safe and secure in the position it’s in and there’s a collar on it that ties it to the building.

The company said it is aware of the foundation issue, saying a third-party engineer is working with the construction company to design a solution and they will take care of the situation.

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