The former headquarters of Pfizer is stable after columns were tied to each other in Midtown Manhattan
Workers are allowed to enter and begin stabilizing NYC’s tallest building
CB Cotton reports live from New York City on the collapse of a Manhattan skyscraper after support columns buckled and the floor caved in during construction. Emergency crews evacuated the site and nearby buildings, with FDNY drone footage showing extensive interior damage. The building’s owners have broken the law several times, including a violation last August when a steel beam collapsed, prompting criticism from a union representative about safety oversight.
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A 37-story Manhattan skyscraper that sparked fears it could collapse and forced the evacuation of one of New York City’s busiest neighborhoods was stabilized Tuesday night, allowing officials to lift some of the evacuation orders.
Officials said residents were allowed to return to most of the seven buildings evacuated in the morning after inspectors found no further movement in the damaged building.
“We’ve been monitoring the building for hours and we haven’t seen any movement,” New York City Department of Building Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said during a news conference Tuesday evening.
The panic began Tuesday morning after workers found the columns of a sprawling building inside the former Pfizer headquarters, a 1970s-era office tower being converted into more than 1,600 luxury apartments.
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The unstable building at 235 East 42nd Street is seen Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
Firefighters responded around 8 a.m., prompting the evacuation of nearby buildings, including a school, executive offices and hotels in the busy Midtown corridor near Grand Central Terminal.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the situation “extremely dire” as engineers were inspecting the building’s floors and floors.
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As of Tuesday evening, contractors had begun repairing the damaged area after city officials determined that the damaged pillars were immovable, although repair work is expected to continue and may disrupt the surrounding area.
An NYPD officer places tape near East 41st Street after buildings in the area were evacuated, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
Fire Chief John Esposito said officials are concerned there may be a structural failure at the site rather than a steel-framed building collapsing. A visible bent column on the 21st floor, as well as cracks and loose floors, provided a wide range of monitoring responses.
Nathan Berman, founder of MetroLoft, told the Wall Street Journal that the extra weight from the project’s top-floor expansion may have contributed to the damage, though he stressed that the building itself is still in good shape.
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“95 percent of the building, the structure is healthy and strong,” Berman told the newspaper. “There is no way that this small extension room will just collapse this building.”
Berman added that investigators are still trying to determine why the two columns were tied together.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
