Manhattan high-rise evacuated after support columns buckle during conversion to apartments
A 38-story building under conversion to apartments near Grand Central Terminal was evacuated Tuesday after two support columns buckled, causing floors to sag. No injuries were reported, but nearby buildings including a school were cleared as a precaution.
What happened
On Tuesday morning, emergency services received a call just before 8 a.m. about bricks falling from a high-rise at 235 East 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan. The building, a 38-story former office tower (some reports describe it as 37 stories), was under construction to be converted into apartments. Firefighters arriving at the scene found that two support columns on the 21st and 22nd floors had buckled, and floors between the 21st and 26th stories were sagging. A steel beam on the 21st floor was compromised, according to officials.
- Emergency call received about falling bricks
- Firefighters find two columns buckled on 21st and 22nd floors, floors sagging
- Evacuations of construction workers and nearby buildings begin
- Mayor Mamdani holds news conference, reports additional column movement
- Engineers continue to assess, building remains unstable
Evacuations and response
Construction workers inside the building were evacuated immediately. As a precaution, authorities cleared at least nine nearby buildings, including a school with about 400 children and a hotel. Streets around the site were closed to vehicles and pedestrians. More than 130 firefighters and emergency personnel responded, and a drone was deployed to assess the damage. No injuries were reported.
Since arriving on scene, we have witnessed additional movement in one of the compromised columns.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the situation as "extremely serious" and said engineers were working with the project's structural engineer to shore up the building. Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani noted that the conversion plan had previously undergone an "extensive, exhaustive review."
The conversion project
The building, once the global headquarters of pharmaceutical company Pfizer, is being transformed into a residential complex with more than 1,600 apartments. The project, led by developer Metro Loft and David Werner Real Estate with architecture firm Gensler, would be the largest office-to-residential conversion in New York City history upon completion, expected in 2027. The plan includes adding more than a dozen floors to the original tower and redesigning an adjacent wing.
Criticism and possible causes
Clifford Johnsen, a representative of the Steamfitters Local 638 union, criticized the conversion work, saying that adding extra floors had put pressure on the support columns. He said the construction appeared not to have been properly planned.
I've been in construction for 21 years, and I've never seen a beam buckle in the middle like that — it's highly dangerous.
The exact cause of the structural failure remains unclear. The New York City Department of Buildings said its structural engineers were on site investigating "possible structural issues."
Current status
As of Tuesday afternoon, the building remained unstable, and engineers were waiting for the floor to be deemed secure before entering to begin shoring work. Streets and nearby buildings remained closed, and the investigation was ongoing.
