Former Pfizer HQ Still Unstable Hours After Support Columns Buckled; Officials Warn of Possible Localized Collapse
235 E 42nd St, Tudor City, Manhattan
Published · Updated
Watch Live Videos
Download Citizen
Summary
- A 37-story high-rise under construction at 235 East 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan — the former global headquarters of Pfizer — remains unstable Tuesday evening after structural columns on the 21st floor began buckling, causing floors 21 through 26 to cave under stress.
- A six-person team from the FDNY, Department of Buildings, and the building's contractor entered to assess the structure and completed an initial assessment; officials say contractors can now begin installing temporary supports to stabilize the building.
- The structure has not moved since around noon, per reports, and the stabilization effort is expected to last into the night.
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the situation as "extremely serious" at a press conference, noting that additional movement has been detected in one of the columns since officials arrived.
- FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said the steel beams have begun to "bend and deflect" and warned that if the building were to give way, it would result in a "localized collapse" — not a total collapse.
- A "frozen zone is in effect" from First to Third Avenues between 40th and 45th Streets. Nine buildings have been evacuated, including a school with about 400 children.
- Some bus routes are detoured around the closure — northbound M101, M102, and M103 are stopping before Third Avenue at East 42nd Street, and the M15 is affected on First Avenue — while subway service at Grand Central is not impacted.
- All construction workers are accounted for and no injuries have been reported. Drones are being used to monitor the structure.
- The building is NYC's largest office-to-residential conversion project, with over 1,600 planned units. It is located one block from the Chrysler Building, between Grand Central Terminal and the United Nations headquarters.
Timeline
Contractors have begun installing temporary supports to stabilize the building at night.
Residents of 222 East 44th Street are being allowed to return home, per CNN.
A six-person team from the FDNY, Department of Buildings, and the building's contractor entered to assess the structure and completed an initial assessment; officials say contractors can now begin installing temporary supports to stabilize the building.
Authorities are going building-to-building to see if there's any possibility of re-openings in the surrounding area, or whether the frozen zone can be adjusted.
Police are directing traffic around barricades near the unstable former Pfizer building.
Teams have entered the building to assess integrity and whether shoring efforts can proceed, according to NBC New York and CNN.
Samdesk sources report the nearby Israeli Consulate has also been evacuated as a precaution.
Nine buildings have been evacuated as a precaution. All construction workers are accounted for and no injuries have been reported.
A "frozen zone" is now in effect from First to Third Avenues between 40th and 45th Streets. Most of East 42nd and 43rd Streets between First and Third Avenues are closed to pedestrians and vehicles.
Construction workers noticed cracks inside the building around 8 a.m. and self-evacuated. Officials say the stress on the load-bearing columns on the 21st floor caused floors 21 through 26 to begin caving under the weight of the upper floors.
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said the steel beams have begun to "bend and deflect." If the building were to give way, it would "not be a total collapse, it would be more of a localized collapse," Esposito said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the situation as "extremely serious" at a Tuesday afternoon press conference. The former Pfizer building remains unstable, with additional movement detected in one of the columns since officials arrived on scene.
NYPD trucks with metal barriers have arrived at the scene, as first responders continue to cordon off the area.
Officials hold a press conference near the affected building discussing the incident and response efforts.
Mayor Mamdani and officials from the FDNY, Department of Buildings and NYC Emergency Management are holding a press conference near East 41st Street and Second Avenue.
Emergency personnel and media remain outside the construction site as crowd watches ongoing activity.
Samdesk sources report the Daily News Building and Brazilian Consulate have also been evacuated.
The FDNY said the following buildings have been evacuated: - 815 Second Avenue - 235 East 42nd Street - 210 East 43rd Street - 212 East 43rd Street - 211 East 43rd Street - 231 East 43rd Street - 225 East 43rd Street - 235 East 43rd Street Of the evacuated buildings, 231 East 43rd Street is the Hampton Inn Manhattan Grand Central and guests have been evacuated out of their rooms.
A drone is being utilized to assess the scene, as firefighters and police continue to stage on 2nd Avenue.
PIX 11 News reports floors have collapsed within the building. Citizen is working to corroborate this information.
Emergency responders are managing a traffic incident near the evacuated building site.
Utility crews, including Con Edison, are also arriving at the scene.
User videos continue to show a large FDNY, EMS and NYPD response at the scene. Media crews are also staging nearby.
Emergency responders are actively managing a traffic accident near the affected building site.
Multiple news sources confirm this building is the former global headquarters of Pfizer, which is currently being converted into a 1,500-unit luxury rental complex.
The address of the affected building has been updated.
The address reported for this incident has changed to 235 E 42nd St.
Samdesk sources report surrounding buildings are being evacuated, including 225 and 231 East 42nd Street.
Firefighters and EMS continue to secure the area and monitor the evacuated building's stability.
Firefighters and specialized units remain on scene assessing the 21st floor's structural damage.
Citizen users report the building is being converted from commercial use to residential.
Arriving units are now staging at E 42nd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues.
E 42nd Street is closed between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
Firefighters report that the building has been evacuated as a precaution.
A Citizen user shows video of a large group gathered near an intersection that has been blocked off using barriers. Firefighters are also on scene.
A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at 219 E 42nd St.
Contractors have begun installing temporary supports to stabilize the building at night.
Residents of 222 East 44th Street are being allowed to return home, per CNN.
A six-person team from the FDNY, Department of Buildings, and the building's contractor entered to assess the structure and completed an initial assessment; officials say contractors can now begin installing temporary supports to stabilize the building.
Authorities are going building-to-building to see if there's any possibility of re-openings in the surrounding area, or whether the frozen zone can be adjusted.
Police are directing traffic around barricades near the unstable former Pfizer building.
Teams have entered the building to assess integrity and whether shoring efforts can proceed, according to NBC New York and CNN.
Samdesk sources report the nearby Israeli Consulate has also been evacuated as a precaution.
Nine buildings have been evacuated as a precaution. All construction workers are accounted for and no injuries have been reported.
A "frozen zone" is now in effect from First to Third Avenues between 40th and 45th Streets. Most of East 42nd and 43rd Streets between First and Third Avenues are closed to pedestrians and vehicles.
Construction workers noticed cracks inside the building around 8 a.m. and self-evacuated. Officials say the stress on the load-bearing columns on the 21st floor caused floors 21 through 26 to begin caving under the weight of the upper floors.
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said the steel beams have begun to "bend and deflect." If the building were to give way, it would "not be a total collapse, it would be more of a localized collapse," Esposito said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the situation as "extremely serious" at a Tuesday afternoon press conference. The former Pfizer building remains unstable, with additional movement detected in one of the columns since officials arrived on scene.
NYPD trucks with metal barriers have arrived at the scene, as first responders continue to cordon off the area.
Officials hold a press conference near the affected building discussing the incident and response efforts.
Mayor Mamdani and officials from the FDNY, Department of Buildings and NYC Emergency Management are holding a press conference near East 41st Street and Second Avenue.
Emergency personnel and media remain outside the construction site as crowd watches ongoing activity.
Samdesk sources report the Daily News Building and Brazilian Consulate have also been evacuated.
The FDNY said the following buildings have been evacuated: - 815 Second Avenue - 235 East 42nd Street - 210 East 43rd Street - 212 East 43rd Street - 211 East 43rd Street - 231 East 43rd Street - 225 East 43rd Street - 235 East 43rd Street Of the evacuated buildings, 231 East 43rd Street is the Hampton Inn Manhattan Grand Central and guests have been evacuated out of their rooms.
A drone is being utilized to assess the scene, as firefighters and police continue to stage on 2nd Avenue.
PIX 11 News reports floors have collapsed within the building. Citizen is working to corroborate this information.
Emergency responders are managing a traffic incident near the evacuated building site.
Utility crews, including Con Edison, are also arriving at the scene.
User videos continue to show a large FDNY, EMS and NYPD response at the scene. Media crews are also staging nearby.
Emergency responders are actively managing a traffic accident near the affected building site.
Multiple news sources confirm this building is the former global headquarters of Pfizer, which is currently being converted into a 1,500-unit luxury rental complex.
The address of the affected building has been updated.
The address reported for this incident has changed to 235 E 42nd St.
Samdesk sources report surrounding buildings are being evacuated, including 225 and 231 East 42nd Street.
Firefighters and EMS continue to secure the area and monitor the evacuated building's stability.
Firefighters and specialized units remain on scene assessing the 21st floor's structural damage.
Citizen users report the building is being converted from commercial use to residential.
Arriving units are now staging at E 42nd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues.
E 42nd Street is closed between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
Firefighters report that the building has been evacuated as a precaution.
A Citizen user shows video of a large group gathered near an intersection that has been blocked off using barriers. Firefighters are also on scene.
A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at 219 E 42nd St.
Contractors have begun installing temporary supports to stabilize the building at night.
Residents of 222 East 44th Street are being allowed to return home, per CNN.
A six-person team from the FDNY, Department of Buildings, and the building's contractor entered to assess the structure and completed an initial assessment; officials say contractors can now begin installing temporary supports to stabilize the building.
Authorities are going building-to-building to see if there's any possibility of re-openings in the surrounding area, or whether the frozen zone can be adjusted.
Police are directing traffic around barricades near the unstable former Pfizer building.
Teams have entered the building to assess integrity and whether shoring efforts can proceed, according to NBC New York and CNN.
Samdesk sources report the nearby Israeli Consulate has also been evacuated as a precaution.
Nine buildings have been evacuated as a precaution. All construction workers are accounted for and no injuries have been reported.
A "frozen zone" is now in effect from First to Third Avenues between 40th and 45th Streets. Most of East 42nd and 43rd Streets between First and Third Avenues are closed to pedestrians and vehicles.
Construction workers noticed cracks inside the building around 8 a.m. and self-evacuated. Officials say the stress on the load-bearing columns on the 21st floor caused floors 21 through 26 to begin caving under the weight of the upper floors.
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said the steel beams have begun to "bend and deflect." If the building were to give way, it would "not be a total collapse, it would be more of a localized collapse," Esposito said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the situation as "extremely serious" at a Tuesday afternoon press conference. The former Pfizer building remains unstable, with additional movement detected in one of the columns since officials arrived on scene.
NYPD trucks with metal barriers have arrived at the scene, as first responders continue to cordon off the area.
Officials hold a press conference near the affected building discussing the incident and response efforts.
Mayor Mamdani and officials from the FDNY, Department of Buildings and NYC Emergency Management are holding a press conference near East 41st Street and Second Avenue.
Emergency personnel and media remain outside the construction site as crowd watches ongoing activity.
Samdesk sources report the Daily News Building and Brazilian Consulate have also been evacuated.
The FDNY said the following buildings have been evacuated: - 815 Second Avenue - 235 East 42nd Street - 210 East 43rd Street - 212 East 43rd Street - 211 East 43rd Street - 231 East 43rd Street - 225 East 43rd Street - 235 East 43rd Street Of the evacuated buildings, 231 East 43rd Street is the Hampton Inn Manhattan Grand Central and guests have been evacuated out of their rooms.
A drone is being utilized to assess the scene, as firefighters and police continue to stage on 2nd Avenue.
PIX 11 News reports floors have collapsed within the building. Citizen is working to corroborate this information.
Emergency responders are managing a traffic incident near the evacuated building site.
Utility crews, including Con Edison, are also arriving at the scene.
User videos continue to show a large FDNY, EMS and NYPD response at the scene. Media crews are also staging nearby.
Emergency responders are actively managing a traffic accident near the affected building site.
Multiple news sources confirm this building is the former global headquarters of Pfizer, which is currently being converted into a 1,500-unit luxury rental complex.
The address of the affected building has been updated.
The address reported for this incident has changed to 235 E 42nd St.
Samdesk sources report surrounding buildings are being evacuated, including 225 and 231 East 42nd Street.
Firefighters and EMS continue to secure the area and monitor the evacuated building's stability.
Firefighters and specialized units remain on scene assessing the 21st floor's structural damage.
Citizen users report the building is being converted from commercial use to residential.
Arriving units are now staging at E 42nd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues.
E 42nd Street is closed between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
Firefighters report that the building has been evacuated as a precaution.
A Citizen user shows video of a large group gathered near an intersection that has been blocked off using barriers. Firefighters are also on scene.
A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at 219 E 42nd St.
Contractors have begun installing temporary supports to stabilize the building at night.
Residents of 222 East 44th Street are being allowed to return home, per CNN.
A six-person team from the FDNY, Department of Buildings, and the building's contractor entered to assess the structure and completed an initial assessment; officials say contractors can now begin installing temporary supports to stabilize the building.
Authorities are going building-to-building to see if there's any possibility of re-openings in the surrounding area, or whether the frozen zone can be adjusted.
Police are directing traffic around barricades near the unstable former Pfizer building.
Teams have entered the building to assess integrity and whether shoring efforts can proceed, according to NBC New York and CNN.
Samdesk sources report the nearby Israeli Consulate has also been evacuated as a precaution.
Nine buildings have been evacuated as a precaution. All construction workers are accounted for and no injuries have been reported.
A "frozen zone" is now in effect from First to Third Avenues between 40th and 45th Streets. Most of East 42nd and 43rd Streets between First and Third Avenues are closed to pedestrians and vehicles.
Construction workers noticed cracks inside the building around 8 a.m. and self-evacuated. Officials say the stress on the load-bearing columns on the 21st floor caused floors 21 through 26 to begin caving under the weight of the upper floors.
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said the steel beams have begun to "bend and deflect." If the building were to give way, it would "not be a total collapse, it would be more of a localized collapse," Esposito said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the situation as "extremely serious" at a Tuesday afternoon press conference. The former Pfizer building remains unstable, with additional movement detected in one of the columns since officials arrived on scene.
NYPD trucks with metal barriers have arrived at the scene, as first responders continue to cordon off the area.
Officials hold a press conference near the affected building discussing the incident and response efforts.
Mayor Mamdani and officials from the FDNY, Department of Buildings and NYC Emergency Management are holding a press conference near East 41st Street and Second Avenue.
Emergency personnel and media remain outside the construction site as crowd watches ongoing activity.
Samdesk sources report the Daily News Building and Brazilian Consulate have also been evacuated.
The FDNY said the following buildings have been evacuated: - 815 Second Avenue - 235 East 42nd Street - 210 East 43rd Street - 212 East 43rd Street - 211 East 43rd Street - 231 East 43rd Street - 225 East 43rd Street - 235 East 43rd Street Of the evacuated buildings, 231 East 43rd Street is the Hampton Inn Manhattan Grand Central and guests have been evacuated out of their rooms.
A drone is being utilized to assess the scene, as firefighters and police continue to stage on 2nd Avenue.
PIX 11 News reports floors have collapsed within the building. Citizen is working to corroborate this information.
Emergency responders are managing a traffic incident near the evacuated building site.
Utility crews, including Con Edison, are also arriving at the scene.
User videos continue to show a large FDNY, EMS and NYPD response at the scene. Media crews are also staging nearby.
Emergency responders are actively managing a traffic accident near the affected building site.
Multiple news sources confirm this building is the former global headquarters of Pfizer, which is currently being converted into a 1,500-unit luxury rental complex.
The address of the affected building has been updated.
The address reported for this incident has changed to 235 E 42nd St.
Samdesk sources report surrounding buildings are being evacuated, including 225 and 231 East 42nd Street.
Firefighters and EMS continue to secure the area and monitor the evacuated building's stability.
Firefighters and specialized units remain on scene assessing the 21st floor's structural damage.
Citizen users report the building is being converted from commercial use to residential.
Arriving units are now staging at E 42nd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues.
E 42nd Street is closed between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
Firefighters report that the building has been evacuated as a precaution.
A Citizen user shows video of a large group gathered near an intersection that has been blocked off using barriers. Firefighters are also on scene.
A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at 219 E 42nd St.
Contractors have begun installing temporary supports to stabilize the building at night.
Residents of 222 East 44th Street are being allowed to return home, per CNN.
A six-person team from the FDNY, Department of Buildings, and the building's contractor entered to assess the structure and completed an initial assessment; officials say contractors can now begin installing temporary supports to stabilize the building.
Authorities are going building-to-building to see if there's any possibility of re-openings in the surrounding area, or whether the frozen zone can be adjusted.
Police are directing traffic around barricades near the unstable former Pfizer building.
Teams have entered the building to assess integrity and whether shoring efforts can proceed, according to NBC New York and CNN.
Samdesk sources report the nearby Israeli Consulate has also been evacuated as a precaution.
Nine buildings have been evacuated as a precaution. All construction workers are accounted for and no injuries have been reported.
A "frozen zone" is now in effect from First to Third Avenues between 40th and 45th Streets. Most of East 42nd and 43rd Streets between First and Third Avenues are closed to pedestrians and vehicles.
Construction workers noticed cracks inside the building around 8 a.m. and self-evacuated. Officials say the stress on the load-bearing columns on the 21st floor caused floors 21 through 26 to begin caving under the weight of the upper floors.
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said the steel beams have begun to "bend and deflect." If the building were to give way, it would "not be a total collapse, it would be more of a localized collapse," Esposito said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the situation as "extremely serious" at a Tuesday afternoon press conference. The former Pfizer building remains unstable, with additional movement detected in one of the columns since officials arrived on scene.
NYPD trucks with metal barriers have arrived at the scene, as first responders continue to cordon off the area.
Officials hold a press conference near the affected building discussing the incident and response efforts.
Mayor Mamdani and officials from the FDNY, Department of Buildings and NYC Emergency Management are holding a press conference near East 41st Street and Second Avenue.
Emergency personnel and media remain outside the construction site as crowd watches ongoing activity.
Samdesk sources report the Daily News Building and Brazilian Consulate have also been evacuated.
The FDNY said the following buildings have been evacuated: - 815 Second Avenue - 235 East 42nd Street - 210 East 43rd Street - 212 East 43rd Street - 211 East 43rd Street - 231 East 43rd Street - 225 East 43rd Street - 235 East 43rd Street Of the evacuated buildings, 231 East 43rd Street is the Hampton Inn Manhattan Grand Central and guests have been evacuated out of their rooms.
A drone is being utilized to assess the scene, as firefighters and police continue to stage on 2nd Avenue.
PIX 11 News reports floors have collapsed within the building. Citizen is working to corroborate this information.
Emergency responders are managing a traffic incident near the evacuated building site.
Utility crews, including Con Edison, are also arriving at the scene.
User videos continue to show a large FDNY, EMS and NYPD response at the scene. Media crews are also staging nearby.
Emergency responders are actively managing a traffic accident near the affected building site.
Multiple news sources confirm this building is the former global headquarters of Pfizer, which is currently being converted into a 1,500-unit luxury rental complex.
The address of the affected building has been updated.
The address reported for this incident has changed to 235 E 42nd St.
Samdesk sources report surrounding buildings are being evacuated, including 225 and 231 East 42nd Street.
Firefighters and EMS continue to secure the area and monitor the evacuated building's stability.
Firefighters and specialized units remain on scene assessing the 21st floor's structural damage.
Citizen users report the building is being converted from commercial use to residential.
Arriving units are now staging at E 42nd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues.
E 42nd Street is closed between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
Firefighters report that the building has been evacuated as a precaution.
A Citizen user shows video of a large group gathered near an intersection that has been blocked off using barriers. Firefighters are also on scene.
A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at 219 E 42nd St.
Stay up-to-date
Download CitizenRadio Clips
Show all 42 radio clips
Comments30
It's a engineering issue. No reason to add 19 stories to a 10 story building that was built in 1960
That is just common sense
That’s the old Pfizer building. And it has been plagued with problems since the start of the construction to convert office space into affordable housing. They have also built on top of the original structure. They have been multiple fires on that site. This work is being done by non-union workers.
I can’t for the life of me understand why people like to stand around in the face of emanate danger! Is it to see if they are able to outrun the falling debris or duck flying bullets. It just doesn’t make sense especially when you can go to a safe place and watch everything unfold on television.
Don't forget, when this falls..They will tell you the air quality is fine..🤔
Exactly. I worked at ground zero for a few days & when I saw firetrucks using hoses to wash down every vehicle when leaving ground zero...... knew then it was sadly going to be bad problems in the future
It's a engineering issue. No reason to add 19 stories to a 10 story building that was built in 1960
That is just common sense
That’s the old Pfizer building. And it has been plagued with problems since the start of the construction to convert office space into affordable housing. They have also built on top of the original structure. They have been multiple fires on that site. This work is being done by non-union workers.
I can’t for the life of me understand why people like to stand around in the face of emanate danger! Is it to see if they are able to outrun the falling debris or duck flying bullets. It just doesn’t make sense especially when you can go to a safe place and watch everything unfold on television.
Don't forget, when this falls..They will tell you the air quality is fine..🤔
Exactly. I worked at ground zero for a few days & when I saw firetrucks using hoses to wash down every vehicle when leaving ground zero...... knew then it was sadly going to be bad problems in the future
It's a engineering issue. No reason to add 19 stories to a 10 story building that was built in 1960
That is just common sense
That’s the old Pfizer building. And it has been plagued with problems since the start of the construction to convert office space into affordable housing. They have also built on top of the original structure. They have been multiple fires on that site. This work is being done by non-union workers.
I can’t for the life of me understand why people like to stand around in the face of emanate danger! Is it to see if they are able to outrun the falling debris or duck flying bullets. It just doesn’t make sense especially when you can go to a safe place and watch everything unfold on television.
Don't forget, when this falls..They will tell you the air quality is fine..🤔
Exactly. I worked at ground zero for a few days & when I saw firetrucks using hoses to wash down every vehicle when leaving ground zero...... knew then it was sadly going to be bad problems in the future
It's a engineering issue. No reason to add 19 stories to a 10 story building that was built in 1960
That is just common sense
That’s the old Pfizer building. And it has been plagued with problems since the start of the construction to convert office space into affordable housing. They have also built on top of the original structure. They have been multiple fires on that site. This work is being done by non-union workers.
I can’t for the life of me understand why people like to stand around in the face of emanate danger! Is it to see if they are able to outrun the falling debris or duck flying bullets. It just doesn’t make sense especially when you can go to a safe place and watch everything unfold on television.
Don't forget, when this falls..They will tell you the air quality is fine..🤔
Exactly. I worked at ground zero for a few days & when I saw firetrucks using hoses to wash down every vehicle when leaving ground zero...... knew then it was sadly going to be bad problems in the future
Stay informed on local incidents
Download Citizen
It's a engineering issue. No reason to add 19 stories to a 10 story building that was built in 1960
That is just common sense
That’s the old Pfizer building. And it has been plagued with problems since the start of the construction to convert office space into affordable housing. They have also built on top of the original structure. They have been multiple fires on that site. This work is being done by non-union workers.
I can’t for the life of me understand why people like to stand around in the face of emanate danger! Is it to see if they are able to outrun the falling debris or duck flying bullets. It just doesn’t make sense especially when you can go to a safe place and watch everything unfold on television.
Don't forget, when this falls..They will tell you the air quality is fine..🤔
Exactly. I worked at ground zero for a few days & when I saw firetrucks using hoses to wash down every vehicle when leaving ground zero...... knew then it was sadly going to be bad problems in the future