Time Warner Center restaurants reopen slowly after suspicious package evacuation [Updated]

Time Warner Center – the building housing offices and a multitude of restaurants like In itself, Masaand a future place of Momofuku Noodle Bar – Reopened after an evacuation Monday morning as a result of the discovery of a "potential explosive device" in the property.

CNN, who is also in the building, reports that the device was made with pipe and wires and found in the mailroom. The authorities treat it "like a real explosive".

Restaurants like Bluebird London, Masa, and Porter House NY were closed due to the incident, said a spokesman to Eater, and Whole foods in the basement was also evacuated. At 11:20, the whole building was requested to leave.

Update: Shortly before 1 pm, the management of the building gave the restaurants the right to enter the building. Bluebird London and Porter House NY will be reopened at 1 pm A spokesman for Landmarc says that the American restaurant will soon open its doors, while a Masa spokesman said it was planning the next steps towards reopening.

Although NYPD did not confirm the exact location of the package, Vice President Mike Pence condemned the attack in a tweet suggesting that it was directed against CNN. CNN presenter Wolf Blitzer said the package was sent to John Brennan, former director of the CIA Obama, at CNN. But Brennan is an MSNBC contributor, not CNN.

NYPD recommended that people avoid Columbus Circle, and a bomb investigation team.

The suspect package is one of many similar devices to be sent this week to public figures. Packages were also sent to Barack Obama, the Clinton residence in upstate New York, and billionaire philanthropist George Soros, known for his donations to liberal causes. A fifth was discovered at the office of the Democratic Democrat of Florida, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. There have been no casualties and federal officials are investigating whether a person or group is targeting them.

The White House has described these acts as "terrorizing" and "despicable" in a statement. "The secret services of the United States and other law enforcement agencies are investigating and taking all appropriate measures to protect those threatened by these cowards," the statement said.

At the moment, people are allowed to leave Time Warner Center but not to come back. This is in progress; Stay tuned for updates.

Ryan Sutton / Eater

Update: This message has been updated to reflect new information about the incident.