Key facts
- An under-construction Manhattan high-rise was stabilized late Tuesday.
- Columns were found buckling on Tuesday morning, prompting evacuations.
- Nearby buildings, including a school and diplomatic offices, were evacuated as a precaution.
- Officials monitored the structure for hours and found no additional movement.
- Emergency repairs are underway, and some evacuated residents have been allowed to return.
An under-construction Manhattan high-rise was stabilized late Tuesday after buckling columns sparked evacuations of nearby buildings and a precautionary street closure. Officials from the New York City Department of Buildings monitored the structure for many hours and reported no movement, allowing on-site contractors to begin emergency repairs.
Residents were permitted to return to several of the seven buildings evacuated as a precaution by Tuesday evening. The situation unfolded after construction workers spotted columns buckling on Tuesday morning at the 1970s-era building, which is being converted into luxury apartments. Firefighters were called to the scene around 8 a.m., leading to the evacuation of workers and people in adjacent buildings, including a school, diplomatic offices, and hotels.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the situation as "extremely serious." City officials conducted floor-by-floor checks and found no additional shifting of the damaged columns, even reaching the 37th floor. A badly bent structural column was visible through a window on the 21st floor, and the fire department reported multiple cracks and sagging floors. Fire Chief John Esposito indicated that the steel-framed building's construction would likely result in a localized rather than total collapse if failure occurred.
The building, formerly the headquarters of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, is located near landmarks such as the Chrysler Building and the United Nations headquarters. The conversion project is described as the largest office-to-residential conversion in the city's history, with over 1,600 units planned. The area near Grand Central train station remained impacted by evacuations and street closures for much of the day.