Manhattan High-Rise Stabilized After Columns Buckle, Evacuations Lifted

📅 2 weeks ago

Construction at a Manhattan high-rise faced a potential collapse when columns buckled, leading to evacuations. Stabilization efforts allowed some residents to return, while extensive repairs are anticipated.

In a significant development in New York City, a high-rise building under construction in Manhattan was stabilized late Tuesday following concerns about its structural integrity, leading to the lifting of some evacuation orders for nearby buildings. Ahmed Tigani, the commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings, addressed the media on Tuesday, stating, "We’ve been monitoring the building for many hours and have not seen any movement." As a result, residents of several evacuated buildings were allowed to return home by nighttime.
The incident began earlier that day when construction workers noticed buckling columns at the 1970s-era building, which is in the process of being converted into luxury apartments. Firefighters responded to the scene around 8 a.m., prompting an urgent evacuation of nearby buildings, including a school and several hotels in the bustling midtown area. Mayor Zohran Mamdani characterized the situation as "extremely serious," highlighting the urgency of the response.
City officials conducted a thorough examination of the building's structure, floor by floor, and reported no additional movement in the damaged columns. This finding permitted on-site contractors to proceed with emergency repairs. By Tuesday evening, construction workers were observed reinforcing the damaged areas inside the modern glass-and-steel high-rise, with repair efforts expected to continue, impacting the surrounding area near the iconic Grand Central train station that serves as a major transit hub.
The building, previously the headquarters of pharmaceutical company Pfizer, is situated in proximity to notable New York landmarks such as the Chrysler Building and the United Nations headquarters. Deputy Mayor Leila Bozorg expressed relief that the structure did not display any signs of further shifting during inspections, including assessments carried out up to the building’s 37th floor.
From the street, observers noted a severely bent structural column visible through a large glass window on the 21st floor, alongside reports from the fire department detailing multiple cracks and sagging floors. Fire Chief John Esposito reassured the public that while the situation was critical, the building's design meant that any potential failure would likely result in a localized collapse rather than a total failure.
The evacuations extended throughout the day, affecting not only residential buildings but also significant institutions like the Israeli consulate across the street. The former Pfizer building was unoccupied at the time of the incident, save for construction workers. Tourist Ramesh Yallappa, evacuated from a nearby hotel, recounted his initial fear of a fire when the evacuation orders were issued.
The project, touted as the largest office-to-residential conversion in New York City’s history, involves transforming two 1970s office buildings through the addition of more than a dozen stories and redesigning an adjoining tower, as noted by architectural firm Gensler. However, building department records reveal that the project has faced several safety violations, including incidents involving falling debris and a worker's fall from a ladder. While representatives from Gensler and MetroLoft, the project developer, did not respond to inquiries, MetroLoft reassured that the building itself was not at risk of collapse and that no debris had fallen.
Nathan Berman, the founder of MetroLoft, attributed the damage to the added weight from the expansion of the upper floors, speculating that the two buckled columns may not have been adequately reinforced. He stated, "Why those particular two columns and nothing else? We don’t know," as investigations continued. Berman insisted that the overall integrity of the building remained intact.
Experts in structural engineering have cautioned that the buckled columns may require complete removal and replacement rather than simple repairs. Emily Guglielmo, a California-based structural engineer, noted that signs of cracking and sagging indicate that the affected elements are likely beyond salvage. Abi Aghayere, a professor at Drexel University, explained that the immediate solution involves shoring the structure to support the load until the columns can be replaced. Yi Bao, a civil engineering associate professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology, added that there could be further structural concerns beyond the visible buckling.
Local residents have expressed their concerns, with Ed Miller stating that he would seek alternate routes to avoid passing under the building's scaffolding in the future. Miles Grant, a former employee at the building, remarked on its age, emphasizing that significant renovations were necessary to prepare it for residential use.

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