Several buildings were evacuated on Tuesday after construction workers spotted structural support beams buckling in a NY building.
Building at risk of collapsing
The high-rise, at 235 E. 42nd St., is on the corner of East 42nd Street and Second Avenue and is the former headquarters of the Pfizer pharmaceutical company and is under a residential conversion by Gensler.
On Tuesday, July 7, around 8 a.m., construction workers noticed cracks inside the building.
The FDNY said the workers spotted structural support beams beginning to buckle on the 21st and 22nd floors and self-evacuated.
Multiple buildings, including a hotel and Kennedy International School, have been evacuated.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed risk
Mayor Zohran Mamdani advised people in the area to follow the instructions of first responders on the ground.
"Now luckily there have been no injuries to report at this time, all workers are accounted for, the building has been evacuated, a number of tall buildings in the area are also being evacuated at this time, a school with about 400 children has also been evacuated," Mamdani said.
Which buildings in New York are evacuated?
According to FDNY, buildings that have been evacuated are 815 Second Avenue, 235 East 42nd Street, 210 East 43rd Street, 212 East 43rd Street, 211 East 43rd Street, 220 East 42nd Street, 231 East 43rd Street, 225 East 43rd Street, and 235 East 43rd Street.
Streets closure amid collapse risk
Pedestrian and vehicular traffic is closed on East 42nd Street between Second and Third avenues.
Second Avenue is closed from 38th to 44th streets and 43rd and 44th streets are closed between Second and Third avenues.
The unstable building has seven violations between July and December 2025, resulting in more than $32,000 in fines issued.
Metro Loft, the developer of the conversion project, released a statement noting, "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."
