Multiple buildings were evacuated and a multi-block “frozen zone” was established in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday after structural columns buckled inside a 37-story high-rise under construction, according to the NY Times and ABC7NY.
Around 8:00 a.m., construction workers noticed cracks and saw steel support beams bending on the 21st and 22nd floors of the building at 235 East 42nd Street. Workers evacuated the site safely, and falling bricks were reported on the street below. Officials stated that the stress caused the 21st through 26th floors to begin sagging, rendering the high-rise unstable.
“The building remains unstable,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said during an afternoon news conference, noting that emergency officials detected additional movement in the columns after arriving. “This is an extremely serious situation.”
The structural failure prompted the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) to evacuate the unstable tower and several surrounding properties. Among the cleared buildings was the Kennedy International School at 225 East 43rd Street, forcing the evacuation of approximately 400 students. Guests were also evacuated from the Hampton Inn Manhattan Grand Central at 231 East 43rd Street.
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The full list of evacuated buildings includes:
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235 and 220 East 42nd Street
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815 Second Avenue
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210, 212, 211, 231, 225, and 235 East 43rd Street
To protect the public, the city established a pedestrian and vehicular “frozen zone” stretching from First Avenue to Third Avenue, between 40th and 45th Streets. Police reported that all workers were accounted for and no injuries occurred.
FDNY Chief John Esposito stated that if the structure gives way, it would likely result in a localized collapse rather than a total destruction of the tower.
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He noted that the steel beams have continued to “bend and deflect.” Cliff Johnsen, a business agent for Steamfitters Local 638, added that union members were pulled out after the beams began to fail, stating, “The north side of that building is crumbling. I-beams are bending like cigarettes in there.”
The Department of Buildings is using highly sensitive monitoring equipment to track the building’s minute movements from the exterior. Once engineers determine it is safe to enter the structure, emergency crews plan to install trusses to shore up the compromised floors.
According to Buildings Department Commissioner Ahmed Tigani, the load-bearing columns became over-stressed as more infrastructure was added to the upper levels of the tower. A formal investigation into the exact cause of the failure will begin once the building is stabilized.
The 1970s-era skyscraper, located near Grand Central Terminal and the United Nations, previously served as the global headquarters for the pharmaceutical company Pfizer.
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The joint venture by developers Metro Loft and David Werner Real Estate began in 2024 and aims to convert the commercial office space into a 1,602-unit residential property—the largest office-to-housing conversion project in the United States. The plans include 400 affordable apartments, a rooftop pool, and retail spaces, with an expected completion date in 2027.
City records show the property has a history of building violations, including seven entries between July and December 2025 that resulted in more than $32,000 in fines. At least 22 structural and safety violations have been logged against the building since 2020.
In a released statement, developer Metro Loft said, “We are working closely with the Department of Buildings to understand the full scope of the situation. The safety of our workers and the public has always been, and remains, our top priority.”
