Flood Damage Shuts Downtown Office Tower

A 51-story skyscraper in lower Manhattan that houses numerous law firms remains closed almost one week after a fierce storm caused an electrical fire that forced its evacuation Saturday evening. The Hines real estate firm, which manages 140 Broadway, advised tenants Wednesday that cleanup crews will work full-time during the weekend, and it hopes to make a “definitive announcement” Monday on when it will reopen.

“Currently, our advice would be to make alternative arrangements for the full week,” the building managers said on its Web site.

According to a Google search, at least 17 law firms have offices in the 1.2 million-square-foot building, whose anchor tenant is Brown Brothers Harriman. The structure is fronted by an iconic red cube sculpture by Isamu Noguchi.