A fire broke out at the future Queens police academy Tuesday while more than 600 workers were on site, authorities said.
Flames erupted at 128-11 28th Avenue in College Point around 1:30 p.m., according to the FDNY.
Police and fire officials at the scene said the building’s exterior suffered the brunt of the blaze. There was minimal damage inside.
“We had a significant fire outside that was extending to the inside of the building,” said FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Robert Maynes. “Once it got inside, we would have had a catastrophic amount of damage.”
There were 650 workers at the construction site when the fire began, a law enforcement source said, but none were hurt.
The exterior atrium’s enclosure was scorched and a small number of outside panels at the north side of the building will need to be replaced, according to a police source. The cost of the damage is yet to be determined.
Construction of the $656 million police academy is not expected to be delayed, the NYPD said. The first phase of the plan is still on track for completion in December.
About 175 firefighters responded to the blaze. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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