13. The Grand Central Hotel, New York City, USA
Built: 1870
Collapsed: 1973
Est. Damages: $1.6 Million*
The storied beginnings of the building formerly known as the Grand Central Hotel date back to 1870, when the hotel first opened for business. Over the next century, there were many alterations to the building including, allegedly, to the basement bearing wall, which is what investigators believed resulted in the partial collapse of the complex.
The University Hotel, New York City, USA @BrownstoneDetec / Twitter.com
On August 3, 1973, four of the hotel’s residents were killed when part of the building’s facing broke off and fell onto the street next to the complex. What was left of the hotel was eventually torn down, and a 22-story building, that is now being used as lodging for law students, was built in its stead.