Overview
- Two internal support columns at 235 East 42nd Street buckled Tuesday, producing visible bending in steel beams and causing floors between the 21st and 26th to sag or partially cave.
- Construction workers on the 21st and 22nd floors self‑evacuated after seeing the damage and officials say there were no injuries and all workers were accounted for.
- FDNY described the response as a major technical rescue, deployed dozens of units, and city crews closed East 42nd Street and used drones and engineers to assess the unstable structure.
- DOB inspectors reported a compromised steel beam on the 21st floor and are leading an active structural investigation while the developer says it is cooperating with city agencies.
- The project is one of the city’s largest office‑to‑residential conversions at roughly 1,600 apartments, and the collapse risk has intensified scrutiny of construction methods, financing and union safety complaints.