NYC building at risk of collapse is 'stable,' more evacuations lifted

Emergency measures were stabilizing a high-rise building under construction in Midtown Manhattan after its two support columns buckled, sparking concerns of a partial collapse, authorities said.

The New York City Fire Department responded early Tuesday, July 7, to reports of bricks falling from the 37-story building under construction on East 42nd Street between 2nd and 3rd avenues, a heavily congested area. Officials found two columns had buckled on the 21st and 22nd floors, and floors were sagging between the 21st and 26th floors. 

FDNY Chief John Esposito warned at a news conference that while a total collapse was unlikely, the building may be at risk of partial collapse.

Ahmed Tigani, commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings, told reporters late July 7 that jacks were in place to stabilize the weak points and new steel was being installed for additional stability. He said officials had not seen any movement after hours of monitoring inside and outside the building.

“I can say right now the building is stable. It has not moved since we started monitoring it earlier today,” Tigani said. “And we feel confident in the emergency plan we have now.”

Mamdani details repair efforts, promises full investigation

In response to press questions, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said there has been no additional movement of the building since the morning of July 7, but continues to be monitored by the city Department of Buildings. There have been no injuries to date, and all workers are accounted for, he said.

As of 8:30 a.m. on July 8, Mamdani said temporary shoring and beams have been installed on floors 18-23. And as of 10:15 a.m., workers were making repairs on floors 17 and 24, as they’d be working up to the roof of the 37-story building and down to the ninth floor through the day, Mamdani added.

Mamdani promised a full investigation into the breakdown of the building once emergency repairs are done, even as he continued to back conversions of office towers into housing such as the East 42nd Street building.

“We are going to be conducting a full investigation as to how we got to this point, because this is not a necessary consequence of an office to residential conversion,” Mamdani said at a news briefing. “This, however, is clearly a breakdown in that process.”

Some evacuation orders, street closures lifted in 'frozen zone'

The city established a "frozen zone" from 40th through 45th streets between 1st and 3rd avenues, temporarily closing the area to pedestrian and vehicular traffic, Mamdani said at an afternoon news conference July 7. 

Nearby buildings and a school with about 400 children were evacuated, the mayor said. The Israeli consulate also was evacuated, consular officials said in a statement.

By late Tuesday, Tigani said, the frozen zone had been "shrunk considerably."

Five buildings remained under evacuation orders, but occupants of the other evacuated buildings were allowed to return, Tigani said. He said 42nd and 43rd Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue remained closed to vehicles, but all other traffic and pedestrian restrictions were lifted.

What caused the columns to buckle?

Tigani declined to comment on what caused the columns to buckle, saying the investigation would continue when efforts to stabilize the building were complete.

Nathan Berman, founder of MetroLoft, the building's developer, told The Wall Street Journal he believes additional weight from the widening of about 15 top floors probably caused the support columns to buckle.

"Why those particular two columns and nothing else? We don’t know,” he told The Journal. “We’re investigating that."

What is the history of the building at risk of collapse?

The building broke ground in 1959, according to The New York Times and Reuters. In 1961, the pharmaceutical company Pfizer moved its headquarters to the space and expanded its offices there.

The building is being converted into a 1,600-unit apartment building due for completion in 2027, according to the architectural firm Gensler's website. It's just east of Grand Central Terminal, major transit hub, as well as the iconic Chrysler Building, both of which are on 42nd Street. It’s also an avenue west of the United Nations headquarters.

Contributing: Michael Loria and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY; Amethyst Martinez, USA TODAY Network − New York