A 37-story Manhattan high-rise sparked fears of a possible collapse, forcing widespread evacuations in one of New York City's busiest neighborhoods. The building, a 1970s-era office tower being converted into luxury apartments, was stabilized late Tuesday, allowing officials to lift some evacuation orders.
Residents were allowed to return to several of the seven buildings evacuated earlier in the day after inspectors found no additional movement in the damaged structure. The city had been monitoring the building for many hours, with no signs of movement, according to officials.
The scare began Tuesday morning after workers discovered buckling structural columns inside the former Pfizer headquarters. Firefighters responded around 8 a.m., prompting the evacuation of nearby buildings, including a school, diplomatic offices, and hotels in the Midtown corridor near Grand Central Terminal.
The situation was described as "extremely serious" by the mayor, as engineers conducted floor-by-floor inspections of the building. By Tuesday evening, contractors had begun shoring up the damaged area after city officials determined the damaged columns were no longer shifting.
Repair work is expected to continue and could disrupt the surrounding area. Officials were concerned about the possibility of a localized structural failure rather than the entire steel-framed building collapsing. A visibly bent column on the 21st floor, along with cracks and sagging floors, prompted the extensive precautionary response.
The developer's founder said additional weight from the project's upper-floor expansion likely contributed to the damage, but insisted the building itself remains structurally sound. He emphasized that 95% of the building's structure is intact, and there is no risk of the building collapsing.
Investigators are still trying to determine why the two columns buckled. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of the building and the surrounding area, but officials have confirmed that the situation is under control.
