Some evacuation orders and street closures remain as work continues on a NYC high-rise that buckled

Work continues on a Manhattan high-rise at 235 East 42nd Street after buckling support beams and sagging floors on the 21st floor prompted widespread evacuations and street closures. Officials have stabilized the building, formerly Pfizer's headquarters, but some surrounding buildings remain under evacuation orders. The incident occurred during a renovation project to convert the building into residential units. The developer acknowledges that the added weight from widening the upper floors likely caused the damage, though they state the building is not at risk of collapse. Midtown streets near Grand Central remain closed as emergency repairs are underway.

Emergency repairs are underway to stabilize a Manhattan high-rise after buckled columns and sagging floors were discovered Tuesday morning. The building, a 1970s-era structure undergoing conversion into luxury apartments, was evacuated along with surrounding areas, including a school, diplomatic offices, and hotels. Firefighters were called to the midtown construction site around 8 am. Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the situation as "extremely serious" and stated the building remained unstable by early afternoon.

A Manhattan high-rise building was deemed unstable on Tuesday after two structural columns buckled, leading to the evacuation of the building and nearby structures. Officials discovered "structural issues" on the 21st floor of the former Pfizer pharmaceutical building, which is being converted into apartments, including multiple cracks and sagging floors. The fire department deployed drones to assess the situation, and efforts to stabilize the site were expected to continue into the night. The building remains unstable, though the fire chief indicated any potential collapse would be localized due to its steel construction. The construction company thanked city officials for their response, emphasizing that the affected area is a small section and the entire building is not at risk of collapse.