Asbestos concerns set off by fallen debris at Madison Square Garden forced the postponement of the Knicks’ game Tuesday night and put the self-proclaimed World’s Most Famous Arena in a state of limbo.
The closure seems likely to be brief, however.
Inspectors for the city’s Department of Environmental Protection visited the arena and concluded that no asbestos had been released when materials in the Garden attic were knocked loose during overnight maintenance.
“It doesn’t appear that any asbestos was disturbed,” said Farrell Sklerov, a spokesman for the department.
Additional sampling conducted by independent air monitors confirmed that finding, Sklerov said.
Garden officials declined to comment on the city’s findings, and gave no indication about how long the arena would be closed. A Garden spokesman referred back to a statement issued early in the afternoon, which stressed that “an abundance of caution” was being exercised.
The Knicks were scheduled to play the Orlando Magic. Fans were advised to retain their tickets until a makeup date is announced.
Full story: Knicks Game Postponed After Debris Falls at Garden – NYTimes.com