Former Pfizer 37-Story Tower Stays Unstable After 2 Columns Buckle, Forcing 9 Building Evacuations
Updated
Updated · Newsweek · Jul 7
Former Pfizer 37-Story Tower Stays Unstable After 2 Columns Buckle, Forcing 9 Building Evacuations
3 articles · Updated · Newsweek · Jul 7
Summary
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the former Pfizer tower at 235 E. 42nd St. remained unstable Tuesday afternoon after additional movement was detected in a compromised column, with no injuries reported.
FDNY found two buckled columns on the 21st and 22nd floors and sagging from the 21st through 26th floors, prompting a technical rescue response with about 40 units and 130 Fire and EMS personnel.
Nine nearby buildings were evacuated, streets from 40th to 45th between First and Third avenues were placed in a frozen zone, and roughly 400 Kennedy International School students were relocated.
The Department of Buildings also filed a new complaint alleging excavation beyond approved plans; the project already has 22 violations since 2020, with 13 still active and $39,000 in penalties owed.
The 37-story site is being converted into 1,500 to 1,600 apartments in what developers call the largest U.S. office-to-residential conversion, while emergency beams and columns are brought in to shore it up.