NYC Opens Criminal Inquiry Into 37-Story Midtown Tower Buckling
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 10
NYC Opens Criminal Inquiry Into 37-Story Midtown Tower Buckling
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 10
Summary
New York City investigators and Manhattan prosecutors have begun a preliminary criminal inquiry into the buckling of a 37-story Midtown high-rise, though the probe’s focus and any targets remain unclear.
Workers spotted cracks in concrete floors and bent columns on the 21st floor Tuesday at 235 East 42nd Street, triggering evacuations and an emergency response while crews continued stabilizing the building.
The tower was being converted from offices into apartments at the former Pfizer headquarters, in what was set to be the largest residential conversion project in the United States.
That scale could complicate the case because large conversions involve many developers, contractors and subcontractors, and investigators may take months or years to determine whether any criminal charges are warranted.