Former Pfizer HQ Stabilized After Columns Buckled, NYC Department of Buildings Investigation Underway
235 E 42nd St, Tudor City, Manhattan
Published · Updated
Watch Live Videos
Download Citizen
Summary
- The former Pfizer headquarters at 235 East 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan has been stabilized after columns on the 21st floor buckled Tuesday, causing floors 21 through 26 to cave under stress.
- Engineering crews worked through Tuesday night and Wednesday morning to complete the stabilization.
- Emergency shoring was installed from the 18th through 23rd floors.
- NYC Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani confirmed the building is in a stable and safe condition as of Wednesday.
- The frozen zone has been scaled back — vehicles are now only prohibited on 42nd and 43rd Streets between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
- Three nearby buildings and one restaurant remain vacated as of Wednesday afternoon.
- The Department of Buildings has launched a full investigation and ordered the building's owner to retain a third-party engineer for a forensic evaluation.
Timeline
NYC authorities are investigating the roles of all parties involved in the project, including developer MetroLoft and general contractor 235 GC LLC, which racked up seven DOB violations over the past year including for falling metal and glass.
A steamfitters union worker who first spotted the cracked slab on the 22nd floor told CBS News New York that the general contractor asked him to return to work Thursday, which he refused. The Steamfitters Local 638 union blames the incident on the job being mostly non-union workers.
The site inspector, John McMonagle of Domani Inspection Services, has been issued several violations by the DOB since 2012, the most recent in 2022 for failing to adequately perform his duties as a special inspection agency.
Developer MetroLoft confirmed the sagging floors will be fully rebuilt. "We will replace the facade and the slab on those floors. We will rebuild them new," said Nathan Berman. MetroLoft reiterated the building was never at risk of total collapse.
All streets surrounding the building have reopened with the exception of East 43rd Street. Four buildings and part of one additional building remain under vacate orders.
As of Thursday, workers have installed shoring on 17 of the building's 37 floors, with 12 more still being worked on. Crews are installing shoring floor by floor from the 18th floor down to the 9th floor.
The building's owner has been ordered to retain a third-party engineer for a forensic evaluation.
The DOB is conducting a full investigation, including a detailed review of all construction documents, witness interviews, a full inspection of the construction site, and review of available video and photo evidence.
The frozen zone has been scaled back — vehicles are now only prohibited on 42nd and 43rd Streets between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
As of Wednesday afternoon, three nearby buildings and one restaurant remain vacated.
Emergency shoring was installed from the 18th through 23rd floors, including structural steel shoring columns on floors 21 and 22, and light-duty shoring posts on four other floors, per the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB).
Police have lifted nearby road closures.
Among the buildings evacuated Tuesday were a school, the Israeli consulate across the street, and several hotels. The former Pfizer building itself was empty at the time of the incident apart from construction workers.
Structural engineers say the buckled columns are likely not repairable and will need to be removed and replaced — a complex and expensive process.
DOB records show the project had been previously cited for safety violations, including glass and metal falling off the building and a worker falling from a ladder.
Emergency shoring work began Tuesday evening — contractors are installing four-legged scaffolding to temporarily carry the load of the buckled columns until they can be replaced.
Some evacuation orders for nearby buildings were lifted late Tuesday night, though many remain in place Wednesday morning. The closures will remain until the city deems it safe.
The building was stabilized late Tuesday night after city officials went floor-by-floor and found no additional movement in the damaged columns. NYC Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said: "We've been monitoring the building for many hours and have not seen any movement."
Contractors have begun installing temporary supports to stabilize the building at night.
Residents of 222 East 44th Street are being allowed to return home, per CNN.
A six-person team from the FDNY, Department of Buildings, and the building's contractor entered to assess the structure and completed an initial assessment; officials say contractors can now begin installing temporary supports to stabilize the building.
Authorities are going building-to-building to see if there's any possibility of re-openings in the surrounding area, or whether the frozen zone can be adjusted.
Police are directing traffic around barricades near the unstable former Pfizer building.
The scene remains stable with no reported injuries. Emergency units continue to monitor the situation.
Teams have entered the building to assess integrity and whether shoring efforts can proceed, according to NBC New York and CNN.
Samdesk sources report the nearby Israeli Consulate has also been evacuated as a precaution.
Nine buildings have been evacuated as a precaution. All construction workers are accounted for and no injuries have been reported.
A "frozen zone" is now in effect from First to Third Avenues between 40th and 45th Streets. Most of East 42nd and 43rd Streets between First and Third Avenues are closed to pedestrians and vehicles.
Construction workers noticed cracks inside the building around 8 a.m. and self-evacuated. Officials say the stress on the load-bearing columns on the 21st floor caused floors 21 through 26 to begin caving under the weight of the upper floors.
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said the steel beams have begun to "bend and deflect." If the building were to give way, it would "not be a total collapse, it would be more of a localized collapse," Esposito said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the situation as "extremely serious" at a Tuesday afternoon press conference. The former Pfizer building remains unstable, with additional movement detected in one of the columns since officials arrived on scene.
NYPD personnel have cleared and exited the building at 655 3rd Avenue.
A construction worker has been injured, and an additional EMS unit has been requested to assist.
EMS are maintaining their current presence, with no changes in personnel or resources at this time. Fortunately, there are still no injuries are reported.
Primary searches of the building are complete with no findings, per firefighters.
NYPD trucks with metal barriers have arrived at the scene, as first responders continue to cordon off the area.
Officials hold a press conference near the affected building discussing the incident and response efforts.
Mayor Mamdani and officials from the FDNY, Department of Buildings and NYC Emergency Management are holding a press conference near East 41st Street and Second Avenue.
Police are coordinating efforts to clear lower floors, currently moving down to the 10th floor.
EMS units report there still no injuries, but the potential risk remains high for both first responders and civilians.
Police report no individuals found on the 12th floor. They're coordinating with building management for further confirmation.
Radio clips available.
Police are checking reports of people stuck in the 12th-floor staircase.
Emergency personnel and media remain outside the construction site as crowd watches ongoing activity.
Police confirm they have cleared down to the 32nd floor of the building.
Samdesk sources report the Daily News Building and Brazilian Consulate have also been evacuated.
Police are entering 220 East 42nd Street and making their way to the top floor.
Officers are using megaphones and other measures to disperse the growing crowds.
Additional officers are being coordinated to respond to the scene to assist with crowd control.
The FDNY said the following buildings have been evacuated: - 815 Second Avenue - 235 East 42nd Street - 210 East 43rd Street - 212 East 43rd Street - 211 East 43rd Street - 231 East 43rd Street - 225 East 43rd Street - 235 East 43rd Street Of the evacuated buildings, 231 East 43rd Street is the Hampton Inn Manhattan Grand Central and guests have been evacuated out of their rooms.
The command post has been relocated to the southeast corner of East 42nd Street and 2nd Avenue.
A drone is being utilized to assess the scene, as firefighters and police continue to stage on 2nd Avenue.
PIX 11 News reports floors have collapsed within the building. Citizen is working to corroborate this information.
Emergency responders are managing a traffic incident near the evacuated building site.
Radio clips available.
Radio clips available.
Utility crews, including Con Edison, are also arriving at the scene.
Additional NYPD officers are arriving at the scene to assist with securing the area, as well as directing traffic and pedestrians.
First responders are in a holding pattern, awaiting the arrival of the Department of Buildings and construction representatives.
User videos continue to show a large FDNY, EMS and NYPD response at the scene. Media crews are also staging nearby.
Radio clips available.
A relief unit has been requested to assist at the scene.
A request has been made for a structural engineer from the Department of Buildings to join the command post.
Emergency responders are actively managing a traffic accident near the affected building site.
EMS units confirm there are still no injuries.
Adjacent buildings were successfully evacuated. All FDNY members have now exited the affected structure due to safety concerns.
Multiple news sources confirm this building is the former global headquarters of Pfizer, which is currently being converted into a 1,500-unit luxury rental complex.
The address of the affected building has been updated.
The address reported for this incident has changed to 235 E 42nd St.
Samdesk sources report surrounding buildings are being evacuated, including 225 and 231 East 42nd Street.
Firefighters and EMS continue to secure the area and monitor the evacuated building's stability.
Firefighters confirm secondary searches are complete with no findings. Evacuation efforts are ongoing at the site.
Firefighters and specialized units remain on scene assessing the 21st floor's structural damage.
Citizen users report the building is being converted from commercial use to residential.
Firefighters confirm the building is 38 stories, not 34, and operations are focused on the 21st floor. A limited number of FDNY are operating inside the structure as a precaution.
A command post has been established in front of the building for coordinated response efforts.
Firefighters are using all available units and equipment on scene to assess the structural integrity of the building.
Arriving units are now staging at E 42nd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues.
EMS units confirm there are no injuries. However, the building's floors are now sagging between floors 21 and 26.
Firefighters confirm this is a 34-story building that is under construction. Support columns have partially collapsed and floors are sagging at the site.
E 42nd Street is closed between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
Firefighters are assessing the situation on floors 21 and 22. All construction workers are accounted for.
Radio clips available.
Specialized EMS units are responding to assist.
Firefighters are verifying the correct address for the incident as multiple locations have been reported.
Firefighters report that the building has been evacuated as a precaution.
Additional, specialized FDNY units are staging nearby upon arriving at the scene.
Firefighters have arrived and are obtaining information from construction workers on site. Two columns reportedly "buckled" on the 21st floor.
A Citizen user shows video of a large group gathered near an intersection that has been blocked off using barriers. Firefighters are also on scene.
Firefighters are on their way to the scene.
Firefighters are responding to a 911 report of bricks falling from a building.
A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at 219 E 42nd St.
NYC authorities are investigating the roles of all parties involved in the project, including developer MetroLoft and general contractor 235 GC LLC, which racked up seven DOB violations over the past year including for falling metal and glass.
A steamfitters union worker who first spotted the cracked slab on the 22nd floor told CBS News New York that the general contractor asked him to return to work Thursday, which he refused. The Steamfitters Local 638 union blames the incident on the job being mostly non-union workers.
The site inspector, John McMonagle of Domani Inspection Services, has been issued several violations by the DOB since 2012, the most recent in 2022 for failing to adequately perform his duties as a special inspection agency.
Developer MetroLoft confirmed the sagging floors will be fully rebuilt. "We will replace the facade and the slab on those floors. We will rebuild them new," said Nathan Berman. MetroLoft reiterated the building was never at risk of total collapse.
All streets surrounding the building have reopened with the exception of East 43rd Street. Four buildings and part of one additional building remain under vacate orders.
As of Thursday, workers have installed shoring on 17 of the building's 37 floors, with 12 more still being worked on. Crews are installing shoring floor by floor from the 18th floor down to the 9th floor.
The building's owner has been ordered to retain a third-party engineer for a forensic evaluation.
The DOB is conducting a full investigation, including a detailed review of all construction documents, witness interviews, a full inspection of the construction site, and review of available video and photo evidence.
The frozen zone has been scaled back — vehicles are now only prohibited on 42nd and 43rd Streets between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
As of Wednesday afternoon, three nearby buildings and one restaurant remain vacated.
Emergency shoring was installed from the 18th through 23rd floors, including structural steel shoring columns on floors 21 and 22, and light-duty shoring posts on four other floors, per the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB).
Police have lifted nearby road closures.
Among the buildings evacuated Tuesday were a school, the Israeli consulate across the street, and several hotels. The former Pfizer building itself was empty at the time of the incident apart from construction workers.
Structural engineers say the buckled columns are likely not repairable and will need to be removed and replaced — a complex and expensive process.
DOB records show the project had been previously cited for safety violations, including glass and metal falling off the building and a worker falling from a ladder.
Emergency shoring work began Tuesday evening — contractors are installing four-legged scaffolding to temporarily carry the load of the buckled columns until they can be replaced.
Some evacuation orders for nearby buildings were lifted late Tuesday night, though many remain in place Wednesday morning. The closures will remain until the city deems it safe.
The building was stabilized late Tuesday night after city officials went floor-by-floor and found no additional movement in the damaged columns. NYC Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said: "We've been monitoring the building for many hours and have not seen any movement."
Contractors have begun installing temporary supports to stabilize the building at night.
Residents of 222 East 44th Street are being allowed to return home, per CNN.
A six-person team from the FDNY, Department of Buildings, and the building's contractor entered to assess the structure and completed an initial assessment; officials say contractors can now begin installing temporary supports to stabilize the building.
Authorities are going building-to-building to see if there's any possibility of re-openings in the surrounding area, or whether the frozen zone can be adjusted.
Police are directing traffic around barricades near the unstable former Pfizer building.
The scene remains stable with no reported injuries. Emergency units continue to monitor the situation.
Teams have entered the building to assess integrity and whether shoring efforts can proceed, according to NBC New York and CNN.
Samdesk sources report the nearby Israeli Consulate has also been evacuated as a precaution.
Nine buildings have been evacuated as a precaution. All construction workers are accounted for and no injuries have been reported.
A "frozen zone" is now in effect from First to Third Avenues between 40th and 45th Streets. Most of East 42nd and 43rd Streets between First and Third Avenues are closed to pedestrians and vehicles.
Construction workers noticed cracks inside the building around 8 a.m. and self-evacuated. Officials say the stress on the load-bearing columns on the 21st floor caused floors 21 through 26 to begin caving under the weight of the upper floors.
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said the steel beams have begun to "bend and deflect." If the building were to give way, it would "not be a total collapse, it would be more of a localized collapse," Esposito said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the situation as "extremely serious" at a Tuesday afternoon press conference. The former Pfizer building remains unstable, with additional movement detected in one of the columns since officials arrived on scene.
NYPD personnel have cleared and exited the building at 655 3rd Avenue.
A construction worker has been injured, and an additional EMS unit has been requested to assist.
EMS are maintaining their current presence, with no changes in personnel or resources at this time. Fortunately, there are still no injuries are reported.
Primary searches of the building are complete with no findings, per firefighters.
NYPD trucks with metal barriers have arrived at the scene, as first responders continue to cordon off the area.
Officials hold a press conference near the affected building discussing the incident and response efforts.
Mayor Mamdani and officials from the FDNY, Department of Buildings and NYC Emergency Management are holding a press conference near East 41st Street and Second Avenue.
Police are coordinating efforts to clear lower floors, currently moving down to the 10th floor.
EMS units report there still no injuries, but the potential risk remains high for both first responders and civilians.
Police report no individuals found on the 12th floor. They're coordinating with building management for further confirmation.
Radio clips available.
Police are checking reports of people stuck in the 12th-floor staircase.
Emergency personnel and media remain outside the construction site as crowd watches ongoing activity.
Police confirm they have cleared down to the 32nd floor of the building.
Samdesk sources report the Daily News Building and Brazilian Consulate have also been evacuated.
Police are entering 220 East 42nd Street and making their way to the top floor.
Officers are using megaphones and other measures to disperse the growing crowds.
Additional officers are being coordinated to respond to the scene to assist with crowd control.
The FDNY said the following buildings have been evacuated: - 815 Second Avenue - 235 East 42nd Street - 210 East 43rd Street - 212 East 43rd Street - 211 East 43rd Street - 231 East 43rd Street - 225 East 43rd Street - 235 East 43rd Street Of the evacuated buildings, 231 East 43rd Street is the Hampton Inn Manhattan Grand Central and guests have been evacuated out of their rooms.
The command post has been relocated to the southeast corner of East 42nd Street and 2nd Avenue.
A drone is being utilized to assess the scene, as firefighters and police continue to stage on 2nd Avenue.
PIX 11 News reports floors have collapsed within the building. Citizen is working to corroborate this information.
Emergency responders are managing a traffic incident near the evacuated building site.
Radio clips available.
Radio clips available.
Utility crews, including Con Edison, are also arriving at the scene.
Additional NYPD officers are arriving at the scene to assist with securing the area, as well as directing traffic and pedestrians.
First responders are in a holding pattern, awaiting the arrival of the Department of Buildings and construction representatives.
User videos continue to show a large FDNY, EMS and NYPD response at the scene. Media crews are also staging nearby.
Radio clips available.
A relief unit has been requested to assist at the scene.
A request has been made for a structural engineer from the Department of Buildings to join the command post.
Emergency responders are actively managing a traffic accident near the affected building site.
EMS units confirm there are still no injuries.
Adjacent buildings were successfully evacuated. All FDNY members have now exited the affected structure due to safety concerns.
Multiple news sources confirm this building is the former global headquarters of Pfizer, which is currently being converted into a 1,500-unit luxury rental complex.
The address of the affected building has been updated.
The address reported for this incident has changed to 235 E 42nd St.
Samdesk sources report surrounding buildings are being evacuated, including 225 and 231 East 42nd Street.
Firefighters and EMS continue to secure the area and monitor the evacuated building's stability.
Firefighters confirm secondary searches are complete with no findings. Evacuation efforts are ongoing at the site.
Firefighters and specialized units remain on scene assessing the 21st floor's structural damage.
Citizen users report the building is being converted from commercial use to residential.
Firefighters confirm the building is 38 stories, not 34, and operations are focused on the 21st floor. A limited number of FDNY are operating inside the structure as a precaution.
A command post has been established in front of the building for coordinated response efforts.
Firefighters are using all available units and equipment on scene to assess the structural integrity of the building.
Arriving units are now staging at E 42nd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues.
EMS units confirm there are no injuries. However, the building's floors are now sagging between floors 21 and 26.
Firefighters confirm this is a 34-story building that is under construction. Support columns have partially collapsed and floors are sagging at the site.
E 42nd Street is closed between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
Firefighters are assessing the situation on floors 21 and 22. All construction workers are accounted for.
Radio clips available.
Specialized EMS units are responding to assist.
Firefighters are verifying the correct address for the incident as multiple locations have been reported.
Firefighters report that the building has been evacuated as a precaution.
Additional, specialized FDNY units are staging nearby upon arriving at the scene.
Firefighters have arrived and are obtaining information from construction workers on site. Two columns reportedly "buckled" on the 21st floor.
A Citizen user shows video of a large group gathered near an intersection that has been blocked off using barriers. Firefighters are also on scene.
Firefighters are on their way to the scene.
Firefighters are responding to a 911 report of bricks falling from a building.
A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at 219 E 42nd St.
NYC authorities are investigating the roles of all parties involved in the project, including developer MetroLoft and general contractor 235 GC LLC, which racked up seven DOB violations over the past year including for falling metal and glass.
A steamfitters union worker who first spotted the cracked slab on the 22nd floor told CBS News New York that the general contractor asked him to return to work Thursday, which he refused. The Steamfitters Local 638 union blames the incident on the job being mostly non-union workers.
The site inspector, John McMonagle of Domani Inspection Services, has been issued several violations by the DOB since 2012, the most recent in 2022 for failing to adequately perform his duties as a special inspection agency.
Developer MetroLoft confirmed the sagging floors will be fully rebuilt. "We will replace the facade and the slab on those floors. We will rebuild them new," said Nathan Berman. MetroLoft reiterated the building was never at risk of total collapse.
All streets surrounding the building have reopened with the exception of East 43rd Street. Four buildings and part of one additional building remain under vacate orders.
As of Thursday, workers have installed shoring on 17 of the building's 37 floors, with 12 more still being worked on. Crews are installing shoring floor by floor from the 18th floor down to the 9th floor.
The building's owner has been ordered to retain a third-party engineer for a forensic evaluation.
The DOB is conducting a full investigation, including a detailed review of all construction documents, witness interviews, a full inspection of the construction site, and review of available video and photo evidence.
The frozen zone has been scaled back — vehicles are now only prohibited on 42nd and 43rd Streets between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
As of Wednesday afternoon, three nearby buildings and one restaurant remain vacated.
Emergency shoring was installed from the 18th through 23rd floors, including structural steel shoring columns on floors 21 and 22, and light-duty shoring posts on four other floors, per the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB).
Police have lifted nearby road closures.
Among the buildings evacuated Tuesday were a school, the Israeli consulate across the street, and several hotels. The former Pfizer building itself was empty at the time of the incident apart from construction workers.
Structural engineers say the buckled columns are likely not repairable and will need to be removed and replaced — a complex and expensive process.
DOB records show the project had been previously cited for safety violations, including glass and metal falling off the building and a worker falling from a ladder.
Emergency shoring work began Tuesday evening — contractors are installing four-legged scaffolding to temporarily carry the load of the buckled columns until they can be replaced.
Some evacuation orders for nearby buildings were lifted late Tuesday night, though many remain in place Wednesday morning. The closures will remain until the city deems it safe.
The building was stabilized late Tuesday night after city officials went floor-by-floor and found no additional movement in the damaged columns. NYC Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said: "We've been monitoring the building for many hours and have not seen any movement."
Contractors have begun installing temporary supports to stabilize the building at night.
Residents of 222 East 44th Street are being allowed to return home, per CNN.
A six-person team from the FDNY, Department of Buildings, and the building's contractor entered to assess the structure and completed an initial assessment; officials say contractors can now begin installing temporary supports to stabilize the building.
Authorities are going building-to-building to see if there's any possibility of re-openings in the surrounding area, or whether the frozen zone can be adjusted.
Police are directing traffic around barricades near the unstable former Pfizer building.
The scene remains stable with no reported injuries. Emergency units continue to monitor the situation.
Teams have entered the building to assess integrity and whether shoring efforts can proceed, according to NBC New York and CNN.
Samdesk sources report the nearby Israeli Consulate has also been evacuated as a precaution.
Nine buildings have been evacuated as a precaution. All construction workers are accounted for and no injuries have been reported.
A "frozen zone" is now in effect from First to Third Avenues between 40th and 45th Streets. Most of East 42nd and 43rd Streets between First and Third Avenues are closed to pedestrians and vehicles.
Construction workers noticed cracks inside the building around 8 a.m. and self-evacuated. Officials say the stress on the load-bearing columns on the 21st floor caused floors 21 through 26 to begin caving under the weight of the upper floors.
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said the steel beams have begun to "bend and deflect." If the building were to give way, it would "not be a total collapse, it would be more of a localized collapse," Esposito said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the situation as "extremely serious" at a Tuesday afternoon press conference. The former Pfizer building remains unstable, with additional movement detected in one of the columns since officials arrived on scene.
NYPD personnel have cleared and exited the building at 655 3rd Avenue.
A construction worker has been injured, and an additional EMS unit has been requested to assist.
EMS are maintaining their current presence, with no changes in personnel or resources at this time. Fortunately, there are still no injuries are reported.
Primary searches of the building are complete with no findings, per firefighters.
NYPD trucks with metal barriers have arrived at the scene, as first responders continue to cordon off the area.
Officials hold a press conference near the affected building discussing the incident and response efforts.
Mayor Mamdani and officials from the FDNY, Department of Buildings and NYC Emergency Management are holding a press conference near East 41st Street and Second Avenue.
Police are coordinating efforts to clear lower floors, currently moving down to the 10th floor.
EMS units report there still no injuries, but the potential risk remains high for both first responders and civilians.
Police report no individuals found on the 12th floor. They're coordinating with building management for further confirmation.
Radio clips available.
Police are checking reports of people stuck in the 12th-floor staircase.
Emergency personnel and media remain outside the construction site as crowd watches ongoing activity.
Police confirm they have cleared down to the 32nd floor of the building.
Samdesk sources report the Daily News Building and Brazilian Consulate have also been evacuated.
Police are entering 220 East 42nd Street and making their way to the top floor.
Officers are using megaphones and other measures to disperse the growing crowds.
Additional officers are being coordinated to respond to the scene to assist with crowd control.
The FDNY said the following buildings have been evacuated: - 815 Second Avenue - 235 East 42nd Street - 210 East 43rd Street - 212 East 43rd Street - 211 East 43rd Street - 231 East 43rd Street - 225 East 43rd Street - 235 East 43rd Street Of the evacuated buildings, 231 East 43rd Street is the Hampton Inn Manhattan Grand Central and guests have been evacuated out of their rooms.
The command post has been relocated to the southeast corner of East 42nd Street and 2nd Avenue.
A drone is being utilized to assess the scene, as firefighters and police continue to stage on 2nd Avenue.
PIX 11 News reports floors have collapsed within the building. Citizen is working to corroborate this information.
Emergency responders are managing a traffic incident near the evacuated building site.
Radio clips available.
Radio clips available.
Utility crews, including Con Edison, are also arriving at the scene.
Additional NYPD officers are arriving at the scene to assist with securing the area, as well as directing traffic and pedestrians.
First responders are in a holding pattern, awaiting the arrival of the Department of Buildings and construction representatives.
User videos continue to show a large FDNY, EMS and NYPD response at the scene. Media crews are also staging nearby.
Radio clips available.
A relief unit has been requested to assist at the scene.
A request has been made for a structural engineer from the Department of Buildings to join the command post.
Emergency responders are actively managing a traffic accident near the affected building site.
EMS units confirm there are still no injuries.
Adjacent buildings were successfully evacuated. All FDNY members have now exited the affected structure due to safety concerns.
Multiple news sources confirm this building is the former global headquarters of Pfizer, which is currently being converted into a 1,500-unit luxury rental complex.
The address of the affected building has been updated.
The address reported for this incident has changed to 235 E 42nd St.
Samdesk sources report surrounding buildings are being evacuated, including 225 and 231 East 42nd Street.
Firefighters and EMS continue to secure the area and monitor the evacuated building's stability.
Firefighters confirm secondary searches are complete with no findings. Evacuation efforts are ongoing at the site.
Firefighters and specialized units remain on scene assessing the 21st floor's structural damage.
Citizen users report the building is being converted from commercial use to residential.
Firefighters confirm the building is 38 stories, not 34, and operations are focused on the 21st floor. A limited number of FDNY are operating inside the structure as a precaution.
A command post has been established in front of the building for coordinated response efforts.
Firefighters are using all available units and equipment on scene to assess the structural integrity of the building.
Arriving units are now staging at E 42nd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues.
EMS units confirm there are no injuries. However, the building's floors are now sagging between floors 21 and 26.
Firefighters confirm this is a 34-story building that is under construction. Support columns have partially collapsed and floors are sagging at the site.
E 42nd Street is closed between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
Firefighters are assessing the situation on floors 21 and 22. All construction workers are accounted for.
Radio clips available.
Specialized EMS units are responding to assist.
Firefighters are verifying the correct address for the incident as multiple locations have been reported.
Firefighters report that the building has been evacuated as a precaution.
Additional, specialized FDNY units are staging nearby upon arriving at the scene.
Firefighters have arrived and are obtaining information from construction workers on site. Two columns reportedly "buckled" on the 21st floor.
A Citizen user shows video of a large group gathered near an intersection that has been blocked off using barriers. Firefighters are also on scene.
Firefighters are on their way to the scene.
Firefighters are responding to a 911 report of bricks falling from a building.
A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at 219 E 42nd St.
NYC authorities are investigating the roles of all parties involved in the project, including developer MetroLoft and general contractor 235 GC LLC, which racked up seven DOB violations over the past year including for falling metal and glass.
A steamfitters union worker who first spotted the cracked slab on the 22nd floor told CBS News New York that the general contractor asked him to return to work Thursday, which he refused. The Steamfitters Local 638 union blames the incident on the job being mostly non-union workers.
The site inspector, John McMonagle of Domani Inspection Services, has been issued several violations by the DOB since 2012, the most recent in 2022 for failing to adequately perform his duties as a special inspection agency.
Developer MetroLoft confirmed the sagging floors will be fully rebuilt. "We will replace the facade and the slab on those floors. We will rebuild them new," said Nathan Berman. MetroLoft reiterated the building was never at risk of total collapse.
All streets surrounding the building have reopened with the exception of East 43rd Street. Four buildings and part of one additional building remain under vacate orders.
As of Thursday, workers have installed shoring on 17 of the building's 37 floors, with 12 more still being worked on. Crews are installing shoring floor by floor from the 18th floor down to the 9th floor.
The building's owner has been ordered to retain a third-party engineer for a forensic evaluation.
The DOB is conducting a full investigation, including a detailed review of all construction documents, witness interviews, a full inspection of the construction site, and review of available video and photo evidence.
The frozen zone has been scaled back — vehicles are now only prohibited on 42nd and 43rd Streets between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
As of Wednesday afternoon, three nearby buildings and one restaurant remain vacated.
Emergency shoring was installed from the 18th through 23rd floors, including structural steel shoring columns on floors 21 and 22, and light-duty shoring posts on four other floors, per the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB).
Police have lifted nearby road closures.
Among the buildings evacuated Tuesday were a school, the Israeli consulate across the street, and several hotels. The former Pfizer building itself was empty at the time of the incident apart from construction workers.
Structural engineers say the buckled columns are likely not repairable and will need to be removed and replaced — a complex and expensive process.
DOB records show the project had been previously cited for safety violations, including glass and metal falling off the building and a worker falling from a ladder.
Emergency shoring work began Tuesday evening — contractors are installing four-legged scaffolding to temporarily carry the load of the buckled columns until they can be replaced.
Some evacuation orders for nearby buildings were lifted late Tuesday night, though many remain in place Wednesday morning. The closures will remain until the city deems it safe.
The building was stabilized late Tuesday night after city officials went floor-by-floor and found no additional movement in the damaged columns. NYC Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said: "We've been monitoring the building for many hours and have not seen any movement."
Contractors have begun installing temporary supports to stabilize the building at night.
Residents of 222 East 44th Street are being allowed to return home, per CNN.
A six-person team from the FDNY, Department of Buildings, and the building's contractor entered to assess the structure and completed an initial assessment; officials say contractors can now begin installing temporary supports to stabilize the building.
Authorities are going building-to-building to see if there's any possibility of re-openings in the surrounding area, or whether the frozen zone can be adjusted.
Police are directing traffic around barricades near the unstable former Pfizer building.
The scene remains stable with no reported injuries. Emergency units continue to monitor the situation.
Teams have entered the building to assess integrity and whether shoring efforts can proceed, according to NBC New York and CNN.
Samdesk sources report the nearby Israeli Consulate has also been evacuated as a precaution.
Nine buildings have been evacuated as a precaution. All construction workers are accounted for and no injuries have been reported.
A "frozen zone" is now in effect from First to Third Avenues between 40th and 45th Streets. Most of East 42nd and 43rd Streets between First and Third Avenues are closed to pedestrians and vehicles.
Construction workers noticed cracks inside the building around 8 a.m. and self-evacuated. Officials say the stress on the load-bearing columns on the 21st floor caused floors 21 through 26 to begin caving under the weight of the upper floors.
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said the steel beams have begun to "bend and deflect." If the building were to give way, it would "not be a total collapse, it would be more of a localized collapse," Esposito said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the situation as "extremely serious" at a Tuesday afternoon press conference. The former Pfizer building remains unstable, with additional movement detected in one of the columns since officials arrived on scene.
NYPD personnel have cleared and exited the building at 655 3rd Avenue.
A construction worker has been injured, and an additional EMS unit has been requested to assist.
EMS are maintaining their current presence, with no changes in personnel or resources at this time. Fortunately, there are still no injuries are reported.
Primary searches of the building are complete with no findings, per firefighters.
NYPD trucks with metal barriers have arrived at the scene, as first responders continue to cordon off the area.
Officials hold a press conference near the affected building discussing the incident and response efforts.
Mayor Mamdani and officials from the FDNY, Department of Buildings and NYC Emergency Management are holding a press conference near East 41st Street and Second Avenue.
Police are coordinating efforts to clear lower floors, currently moving down to the 10th floor.
EMS units report there still no injuries, but the potential risk remains high for both first responders and civilians.
Police report no individuals found on the 12th floor. They're coordinating with building management for further confirmation.
Radio clips available.
Police are checking reports of people stuck in the 12th-floor staircase.
Emergency personnel and media remain outside the construction site as crowd watches ongoing activity.
Police confirm they have cleared down to the 32nd floor of the building.
Samdesk sources report the Daily News Building and Brazilian Consulate have also been evacuated.
Police are entering 220 East 42nd Street and making their way to the top floor.
Officers are using megaphones and other measures to disperse the growing crowds.
Additional officers are being coordinated to respond to the scene to assist with crowd control.
The FDNY said the following buildings have been evacuated: - 815 Second Avenue - 235 East 42nd Street - 210 East 43rd Street - 212 East 43rd Street - 211 East 43rd Street - 231 East 43rd Street - 225 East 43rd Street - 235 East 43rd Street Of the evacuated buildings, 231 East 43rd Street is the Hampton Inn Manhattan Grand Central and guests have been evacuated out of their rooms.
The command post has been relocated to the southeast corner of East 42nd Street and 2nd Avenue.
A drone is being utilized to assess the scene, as firefighters and police continue to stage on 2nd Avenue.
PIX 11 News reports floors have collapsed within the building. Citizen is working to corroborate this information.
Emergency responders are managing a traffic incident near the evacuated building site.
Radio clips available.
Radio clips available.
Utility crews, including Con Edison, are also arriving at the scene.
Additional NYPD officers are arriving at the scene to assist with securing the area, as well as directing traffic and pedestrians.
First responders are in a holding pattern, awaiting the arrival of the Department of Buildings and construction representatives.
User videos continue to show a large FDNY, EMS and NYPD response at the scene. Media crews are also staging nearby.
Radio clips available.
A relief unit has been requested to assist at the scene.
A request has been made for a structural engineer from the Department of Buildings to join the command post.
Emergency responders are actively managing a traffic accident near the affected building site.
EMS units confirm there are still no injuries.
Adjacent buildings were successfully evacuated. All FDNY members have now exited the affected structure due to safety concerns.
Multiple news sources confirm this building is the former global headquarters of Pfizer, which is currently being converted into a 1,500-unit luxury rental complex.
The address of the affected building has been updated.
The address reported for this incident has changed to 235 E 42nd St.
Samdesk sources report surrounding buildings are being evacuated, including 225 and 231 East 42nd Street.
Firefighters and EMS continue to secure the area and monitor the evacuated building's stability.
Firefighters confirm secondary searches are complete with no findings. Evacuation efforts are ongoing at the site.
Firefighters and specialized units remain on scene assessing the 21st floor's structural damage.
Citizen users report the building is being converted from commercial use to residential.
Firefighters confirm the building is 38 stories, not 34, and operations are focused on the 21st floor. A limited number of FDNY are operating inside the structure as a precaution.
A command post has been established in front of the building for coordinated response efforts.
Firefighters are using all available units and equipment on scene to assess the structural integrity of the building.
Arriving units are now staging at E 42nd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues.
EMS units confirm there are no injuries. However, the building's floors are now sagging between floors 21 and 26.
Firefighters confirm this is a 34-story building that is under construction. Support columns have partially collapsed and floors are sagging at the site.
E 42nd Street is closed between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
Firefighters are assessing the situation on floors 21 and 22. All construction workers are accounted for.
Radio clips available.
Specialized EMS units are responding to assist.
Firefighters are verifying the correct address for the incident as multiple locations have been reported.
Firefighters report that the building has been evacuated as a precaution.
Additional, specialized FDNY units are staging nearby upon arriving at the scene.
Firefighters have arrived and are obtaining information from construction workers on site. Two columns reportedly "buckled" on the 21st floor.
A Citizen user shows video of a large group gathered near an intersection that has been blocked off using barriers. Firefighters are also on scene.
Firefighters are on their way to the scene.
Firefighters are responding to a 911 report of bricks falling from a building.
A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at 219 E 42nd St.
NYC authorities are investigating the roles of all parties involved in the project, including developer MetroLoft and general contractor 235 GC LLC, which racked up seven DOB violations over the past year including for falling metal and glass.
A steamfitters union worker who first spotted the cracked slab on the 22nd floor told CBS News New York that the general contractor asked him to return to work Thursday, which he refused. The Steamfitters Local 638 union blames the incident on the job being mostly non-union workers.
The site inspector, John McMonagle of Domani Inspection Services, has been issued several violations by the DOB since 2012, the most recent in 2022 for failing to adequately perform his duties as a special inspection agency.
Developer MetroLoft confirmed the sagging floors will be fully rebuilt. "We will replace the facade and the slab on those floors. We will rebuild them new," said Nathan Berman. MetroLoft reiterated the building was never at risk of total collapse.
All streets surrounding the building have reopened with the exception of East 43rd Street. Four buildings and part of one additional building remain under vacate orders.
As of Thursday, workers have installed shoring on 17 of the building's 37 floors, with 12 more still being worked on. Crews are installing shoring floor by floor from the 18th floor down to the 9th floor.
The building's owner has been ordered to retain a third-party engineer for a forensic evaluation.
The DOB is conducting a full investigation, including a detailed review of all construction documents, witness interviews, a full inspection of the construction site, and review of available video and photo evidence.
The frozen zone has been scaled back — vehicles are now only prohibited on 42nd and 43rd Streets between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
As of Wednesday afternoon, three nearby buildings and one restaurant remain vacated.
Emergency shoring was installed from the 18th through 23rd floors, including structural steel shoring columns on floors 21 and 22, and light-duty shoring posts on four other floors, per the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB).
Police have lifted nearby road closures.
Among the buildings evacuated Tuesday were a school, the Israeli consulate across the street, and several hotels. The former Pfizer building itself was empty at the time of the incident apart from construction workers.
Structural engineers say the buckled columns are likely not repairable and will need to be removed and replaced — a complex and expensive process.
DOB records show the project had been previously cited for safety violations, including glass and metal falling off the building and a worker falling from a ladder.
Emergency shoring work began Tuesday evening — contractors are installing four-legged scaffolding to temporarily carry the load of the buckled columns until they can be replaced.
Some evacuation orders for nearby buildings were lifted late Tuesday night, though many remain in place Wednesday morning. The closures will remain until the city deems it safe.
The building was stabilized late Tuesday night after city officials went floor-by-floor and found no additional movement in the damaged columns. NYC Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said: "We've been monitoring the building for many hours and have not seen any movement."
Contractors have begun installing temporary supports to stabilize the building at night.
Residents of 222 East 44th Street are being allowed to return home, per CNN.
A six-person team from the FDNY, Department of Buildings, and the building's contractor entered to assess the structure and completed an initial assessment; officials say contractors can now begin installing temporary supports to stabilize the building.
Authorities are going building-to-building to see if there's any possibility of re-openings in the surrounding area, or whether the frozen zone can be adjusted.
Police are directing traffic around barricades near the unstable former Pfizer building.
The scene remains stable with no reported injuries. Emergency units continue to monitor the situation.
Teams have entered the building to assess integrity and whether shoring efforts can proceed, according to NBC New York and CNN.
Samdesk sources report the nearby Israeli Consulate has also been evacuated as a precaution.
Nine buildings have been evacuated as a precaution. All construction workers are accounted for and no injuries have been reported.
A "frozen zone" is now in effect from First to Third Avenues between 40th and 45th Streets. Most of East 42nd and 43rd Streets between First and Third Avenues are closed to pedestrians and vehicles.
Construction workers noticed cracks inside the building around 8 a.m. and self-evacuated. Officials say the stress on the load-bearing columns on the 21st floor caused floors 21 through 26 to begin caving under the weight of the upper floors.
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said the steel beams have begun to "bend and deflect." If the building were to give way, it would "not be a total collapse, it would be more of a localized collapse," Esposito said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the situation as "extremely serious" at a Tuesday afternoon press conference. The former Pfizer building remains unstable, with additional movement detected in one of the columns since officials arrived on scene.
NYPD personnel have cleared and exited the building at 655 3rd Avenue.
A construction worker has been injured, and an additional EMS unit has been requested to assist.
EMS are maintaining their current presence, with no changes in personnel or resources at this time. Fortunately, there are still no injuries are reported.
Primary searches of the building are complete with no findings, per firefighters.
NYPD trucks with metal barriers have arrived at the scene, as first responders continue to cordon off the area.
Officials hold a press conference near the affected building discussing the incident and response efforts.
Mayor Mamdani and officials from the FDNY, Department of Buildings and NYC Emergency Management are holding a press conference near East 41st Street and Second Avenue.
Police are coordinating efforts to clear lower floors, currently moving down to the 10th floor.
EMS units report there still no injuries, but the potential risk remains high for both first responders and civilians.
Police report no individuals found on the 12th floor. They're coordinating with building management for further confirmation.
Radio clips available.
Police are checking reports of people stuck in the 12th-floor staircase.
Emergency personnel and media remain outside the construction site as crowd watches ongoing activity.
Police confirm they have cleared down to the 32nd floor of the building.
Samdesk sources report the Daily News Building and Brazilian Consulate have also been evacuated.
Police are entering 220 East 42nd Street and making their way to the top floor.
Officers are using megaphones and other measures to disperse the growing crowds.
Additional officers are being coordinated to respond to the scene to assist with crowd control.
The FDNY said the following buildings have been evacuated: - 815 Second Avenue - 235 East 42nd Street - 210 East 43rd Street - 212 East 43rd Street - 211 East 43rd Street - 231 East 43rd Street - 225 East 43rd Street - 235 East 43rd Street Of the evacuated buildings, 231 East 43rd Street is the Hampton Inn Manhattan Grand Central and guests have been evacuated out of their rooms.
The command post has been relocated to the southeast corner of East 42nd Street and 2nd Avenue.
A drone is being utilized to assess the scene, as firefighters and police continue to stage on 2nd Avenue.
PIX 11 News reports floors have collapsed within the building. Citizen is working to corroborate this information.
Emergency responders are managing a traffic incident near the evacuated building site.
Radio clips available.
Radio clips available.
Utility crews, including Con Edison, are also arriving at the scene.
Additional NYPD officers are arriving at the scene to assist with securing the area, as well as directing traffic and pedestrians.
First responders are in a holding pattern, awaiting the arrival of the Department of Buildings and construction representatives.
User videos continue to show a large FDNY, EMS and NYPD response at the scene. Media crews are also staging nearby.
Radio clips available.
A relief unit has been requested to assist at the scene.
A request has been made for a structural engineer from the Department of Buildings to join the command post.
Emergency responders are actively managing a traffic accident near the affected building site.
EMS units confirm there are still no injuries.
Adjacent buildings were successfully evacuated. All FDNY members have now exited the affected structure due to safety concerns.
Multiple news sources confirm this building is the former global headquarters of Pfizer, which is currently being converted into a 1,500-unit luxury rental complex.
The address of the affected building has been updated.
The address reported for this incident has changed to 235 E 42nd St.
Samdesk sources report surrounding buildings are being evacuated, including 225 and 231 East 42nd Street.
Firefighters and EMS continue to secure the area and monitor the evacuated building's stability.
Firefighters confirm secondary searches are complete with no findings. Evacuation efforts are ongoing at the site.
Firefighters and specialized units remain on scene assessing the 21st floor's structural damage.
Citizen users report the building is being converted from commercial use to residential.
Firefighters confirm the building is 38 stories, not 34, and operations are focused on the 21st floor. A limited number of FDNY are operating inside the structure as a precaution.
A command post has been established in front of the building for coordinated response efforts.
Firefighters are using all available units and equipment on scene to assess the structural integrity of the building.
Arriving units are now staging at E 42nd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues.
EMS units confirm there are no injuries. However, the building's floors are now sagging between floors 21 and 26.
Firefighters confirm this is a 34-story building that is under construction. Support columns have partially collapsed and floors are sagging at the site.
E 42nd Street is closed between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
Firefighters are assessing the situation on floors 21 and 22. All construction workers are accounted for.
Radio clips available.
Specialized EMS units are responding to assist.
Firefighters are verifying the correct address for the incident as multiple locations have been reported.
Firefighters report that the building has been evacuated as a precaution.
Additional, specialized FDNY units are staging nearby upon arriving at the scene.
Firefighters have arrived and are obtaining information from construction workers on site. Two columns reportedly "buckled" on the 21st floor.
A Citizen user shows video of a large group gathered near an intersection that has been blocked off using barriers. Firefighters are also on scene.
Firefighters are on their way to the scene.
Firefighters are responding to a 911 report of bricks falling from a building.
A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at 219 E 42nd St.
Stay up-to-date
Download CitizenComments30
It's a engineering issue. No reason to add 19 stories to a 10 story building that was built in 1960
That is just common sense
Left to their own devices, building owners will cheap out and put people in danger for a buck. More mandatory inspections, enforcement, proactive repairs = more jobs and safety
@softshellcrabby and they need to hire people that know what they are doing that speak English and make American wages like it used to be.They should not hire people because they work cheaper.
I can’t for the life of me understand why people like to stand around in the face of emanate danger! Is it to see if they are able to outrun the falling debris or duck flying bullets. It just doesn’t make sense especially when you can go to a safe place and watch everything unfold on television.
No one but the developers of this project should be blamed.
It's a engineering issue. No reason to add 19 stories to a 10 story building that was built in 1960
That is just common sense
Left to their own devices, building owners will cheap out and put people in danger for a buck. More mandatory inspections, enforcement, proactive repairs = more jobs and safety
@softshellcrabby and they need to hire people that know what they are doing that speak English and make American wages like it used to be.They should not hire people because they work cheaper.
I can’t for the life of me understand why people like to stand around in the face of emanate danger! Is it to see if they are able to outrun the falling debris or duck flying bullets. It just doesn’t make sense especially when you can go to a safe place and watch everything unfold on television.
No one but the developers of this project should be blamed.
It's a engineering issue. No reason to add 19 stories to a 10 story building that was built in 1960
That is just common sense
Left to their own devices, building owners will cheap out and put people in danger for a buck. More mandatory inspections, enforcement, proactive repairs = more jobs and safety
@softshellcrabby and they need to hire people that know what they are doing that speak English and make American wages like it used to be.They should not hire people because they work cheaper.
I can’t for the life of me understand why people like to stand around in the face of emanate danger! Is it to see if they are able to outrun the falling debris or duck flying bullets. It just doesn’t make sense especially when you can go to a safe place and watch everything unfold on television.
No one but the developers of this project should be blamed.
It's a engineering issue. No reason to add 19 stories to a 10 story building that was built in 1960
That is just common sense
Left to their own devices, building owners will cheap out and put people in danger for a buck. More mandatory inspections, enforcement, proactive repairs = more jobs and safety
@softshellcrabby and they need to hire people that know what they are doing that speak English and make American wages like it used to be.They should not hire people because they work cheaper.
I can’t for the life of me understand why people like to stand around in the face of emanate danger! Is it to see if they are able to outrun the falling debris or duck flying bullets. It just doesn’t make sense especially when you can go to a safe place and watch everything unfold on television.
No one but the developers of this project should be blamed.
Stay informed on local incidents
Download Citizen
It's a engineering issue. No reason to add 19 stories to a 10 story building that was built in 1960
That is just common sense
Left to their own devices, building owners will cheap out and put people in danger for a buck. More mandatory inspections, enforcement, proactive repairs = more jobs and safety
@softshellcrabby and they need to hire people that know what they are doing that speak English and make American wages like it used to be.They should not hire people because they work cheaper.
I can’t for the life of me understand why people like to stand around in the face of emanate danger! Is it to see if they are able to outrun the falling debris or duck flying bullets. It just doesn’t make sense especially when you can go to a safe place and watch everything unfold on television.
No one but the developers of this project should be blamed.