The former Pfizer office (center-right, gray facade) is at risk of collapse.Image: sc/google street view
July 7, 2026, 5:11 p.mJuly 7, 2026, 6:24 p.m
Over 30 stories high and in danger of collapsing – this is what a high-rise building in central New York is currently facing. According to the New York Times The building, which is located near Grand Central Terminal, has been unstable since Tuesday.
The fire department is on site.Image: keystone
As a result, the former office building, which is currently being converted into a residential building, was quickly evacuated by rescue workers in the morning (local time). According to the local fire department, they received word of falling bricks on East 42nd Street by telephone shortly before 8 a.m.
A subsequent inspection revealed that a steel beam was “compromised,” two columns were buckled and several of the upper floors were sagging. The evacuation of the construction workers went smoothly and there were no injuries. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced at a press conference that a school not far from the building had also been evacuated.
“The steel beams bend like cigarettes.”
A representative of the local ironworkers union confirmed that construction workers were evacuated after girders bent: “The north side of the building is falling apart. The steel beams bend like cigarettes.” One of the construction workers saw that concrete was “coming down” and that the windows were broken.
The bent columns can be seen in the background on the left.Image: sc/cnn
As part of the conversion from an office building to a residential building, several additional floors were built. According to the union representative, this is the reason for the collapsed columns and beams – they did not implement enough new steel to support the additional weight.
A spokesman for the construction company behind the renovation told the New York Times that they were aware of the problems and were in consultation with building officials.
The office complex consists of two buildings that were built in the 1970s. Until recently, the pharmaceutical company Pfizer used the premises. Meanwhile, the complex is being converted into a residential building as part of city-wide efforts to combat the housing shortage – over 1,600 apartments should be created.
The top floors were added as part of the renovation.Image: keystone
The project, which is the largest of its kind in New York, was supposed to be completed by 2027 – but it is now likely to take significantly longer, if at all, for the apartments to be finished.
(cpf)