Former Pfizer HQ At Risk Of Collapse, Midtown Offices Evacuated

Several Midtown Manhattan office buildings were evacuated Tuesday morning following reports of a compromised steel beam at the site of New York City’s largest office-to-residential conversion. 

The New York City Fire Department received a report of bricks falling from the 38-story tower at 235 E. 42nd St., the former Pfizer headquarters. Officials responded to the call just before 8 a.m., during the morning rush hour. 

Two support columns inside the building were buckling and several upper floors were sagging, The New York Times reported. A Department of Buildings spokesperson said the compromised steel beam was on the 21st floor, and floors between the 21st and 26th were sagging.

Construction workers, along with people in nine adjacent buildings, were evacuated as a precaution, according to an FDNY spokesperson. East 42nd Street between Second and Third avenues is closed as officials investigate. There were no injuries reported.

The office campus is being converted into approximately 1,600 rental units by David Werner and Nathan Berman's Metro Loft Management. The undertaking has been funded by a $720M loan.

The DOB identified a Metro Loft affiliate as the project's general contractor. Gensler is the architect of the conversion project.

“We are working closely with the Department of Buildings to understand the full scope of the situation,” a spokesperson for Metro Loft said in a statement. “The safety of our workers and the public has always been, and remains, our top priority.”

Construction was expected to be completed next year, though it is unclear how Tuesday’s incident may impact that timeline. 

Ciara Long contributed to this story. This is a developing story.