Overview
- Construction workers on the 21st floor noticed cracks Tuesday morning, and firefighters found two deformed interior columns and floors sagging between the 21st and 26th levels.
- Police, FDNY and DOB teams evacuated nearby streets, hotels, residences and a school and used drones to inspect the scene with roughly 130 responders on site.
- Officials warned the damage could cause a localized collapse in the affected section but said a full building collapse is unlikely and no injuries have been reported.
- The tower at 235 East 42nd Street is the former Pfizer global headquarters being converted into housing with plans to add more than a dozen floors and about 1,600 apartments, a project that has drawn prior safety citations.
- Unions and local officials have criticized the upbuilding work as a possible cause of the failure, and the DOB’s structural engineers will decide next steps for stabilization, repairs or enforcement actions.