NEW YORK (Diya TV) — A major construction emergency forced evacuations and street closures in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday after structural problems appeared inside a high-profile residential conversion project near Grand Central Terminal.
Officials said construction workers spotted cracks and bent steel beams inside the former Pfizer headquarters at 235 East 42nd Street shortly before 8 a.m. As a result, they quickly left the building and alerted emergency crews. Soon after, firefighters and city officials expanded the response and evacuated nearby buildings to protect the public.
The building is undergoing a large residential conversion that will create more than 1,600 apartments. Developers have described the project as the largest office-to-housing conversion in New York City history. Construction was expected to finish in 2027.
The Fire Department of New York said workers noticed structural support beams bending on the 21st and 22nd floors. Soon afterward, officials observed signs that floors between the 21st and 26th levels were beginning to cave under stress. Fire officials also said two support columns inside the building were buckling, while several upper floors showed signs of sagging.
The city’s Department of Buildings said a safety manager reported that a steel beam had become compromised on the 21st floor. However, officials did not immediately identify what caused the structural failure. Engineers and inspectors continued to examine the building throughout the day.
Emergency crews quickly secured the area. They evacuated the construction site first. Next, they cleared several nearby buildings as a precaution. Officials also evacuated a hotel and a school located close to the project.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the school had about 400 children inside when officials ordered the evacuation. He said first responders acted quickly to move everyone to safety. He also confirmed that all construction workers had been accounted for.
“Luckily, there have been no injuries to report at this time,” Mamdani said during a news conference. He urged people to avoid the area and follow directions from emergency personnel.
The Fire Department confirmed that emergency crews evacuated multiple addresses around East 42nd and East 43rd streets. Among them was the Hampton Inn Manhattan Grand Central, where hotel guests left their rooms while officials assessed the situation.
Meanwhile, police closed several streets to protect pedestrians and drivers. Authorities shut down East 42nd Street between Second and Third avenues. In addition, they closed Second Avenue from East 38th Street through East 44th Street. Officials also blocked East 43rd and East 44th streets between Second and Third avenues. These closures caused traffic delays during the busy morning commute.
Union representatives described a tense scene inside the building before the evacuation. Cliff Jensen, a business agent for the Steamfitters Local 638 Union, said workers noticed steel beams bending before they left the site.
“The north side of that building is crumbling,” Jensen said. “I-beams are bending like cigarettes in there.”
City officials did not confirm that description. Instead, they said investigators would determine the full extent of the damage after completing a detailed structural assessment.
Metro Loft, the developer leading the residential conversion, said it is cooperating with city agencies as the investigation continues.
“We are working closely with the Department of Buildings to understand the full scope of the situation,” the company said in a statement. “The safety of our workers and the public has always been, and remains, our top priority.”
The former Pfizer headquarters has become one of New York City’s most closely watched redevelopment projects. The conversion reflects the city’s broader effort to transform older office buildings into housing as demand for residential space continues to grow.
By Tuesday afternoon, emergency crews remained at the scene while engineers monitored the structure. Officials had not announced when nearby streets or evacuated buildings would reopen. They also had not released a timeline for repairs or determined the cause of the structural problems.
