Winds Blamed for Collapse at Greater Binghamton Sports Complex

Weather again is being cited as the reason for a second catastrophic failure at the Greater Binghamton Sports Complex in the town of Union.

Steel sections at the construction site came tumbling down on Sunday, less than a year after heavy, wet snow caused the collapse of the air-supported dome on Airport Road in Choconut Center.

Owner Bob Kashou on Monday afternoon said it appears a wind gust caused the just-installed steel sections to fall.

Kashou described a "sequencing error in construction" with some initial steel sections installed last week with a planned completion a few days later.

Dave Nicosia at the National Weather Service office at the Greater Binghamton Airport - a short distance north of the construction site - said a 28 mph wind gust was recorded around the time of the steel collapse.

The strong wind from the south appeared to have entered an opening in the structure that was under construction.

Kashou had been at the site about 90 minutes before the collapse. He said he had been "admiring the building."

A short time later, he received a call from a coach who told him the structure was coming down. Kashou said "I thought he was being funny." But he quickly realized he wasn't kidding.

Kashou said he was grateful no one was at the site when the collapse happened and there were no injuries.

The complex owner said "we had a setback" but he's prepared to move forward with the project. Construction had been expected to wrap up by the end of January.

Kashou said he hopes the damaged steel can be cleared soon and construction can resume. He said he now is hoping the new sports complex can be in operation by April or May.

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com.

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