Full Breakdown
Midtown Manhattan High-Rise Evacuated After Buckling Columns and Falling Bricks
7/8/2026, 2:16:44 AM
Incident Overview
On July 7, 2026, a 911 call at 7:57 a.m. reported bricks falling from 235 East 42nd Street, the former Pfizer headquarters being converted to apartments. By 8:10 a.m. crews observed buckling of two load-bearing columns on the 21st floor and sagging floors through the 26th level. At 8:15 a.m. Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared the building “unstable,” and by 1 p.m. all workers were accounted for while drones continued to monitor the structure. The incident prompted evacuation of the tower and nearby buildings.
Project Background
The 1970s office tower, purchased in 2018 for $363.5 million by a consortium led by David Werner, is being converted by Metro Loft and Gensler into over 1,600 residential units, the city’s largest office-to-residential conversion.
Key Data
The project adds about 1,600 units, with roughly 400 affordable rentals. About 400 children were evacuated from a nearby school and seven to nine adjacent buildings were cleared. The city levied $32,000 in construction-safety fines and $39,000 in elevator fines.
Official Statements
Mayor Mamdani called the situation “extremely serious,” emphasizing a minute-by-minute assessment. Fire Chief John Esposito said the steel-frame design makes a total collapse unlikely but a localized collapse possible. Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said emergency beams and columns are being installed and no debris was observed.
Criticism
Cliff Johnson of Steamfitters Local 638 said developers “didn’t add the right amount of steel,” noting I-beams “bending like cigarettes” and alleging cheaper labor. Metro Loft’s spokesperson said the affected area is limited and the building is not near collapse.
Ground Reports
Firefighters and police evacuated a school of 400 students, a hotel, and office towers. Streets from 40th to 45th Streets and First to Third Avenues were closed. No injuries were reported; all workers were accounted for.
Conflicting Reports
Sources differ on the building’s height (38 vs 37 stories) and the floors where columns failed (21st vs 21st and 22nd). Some reports mention falling bricks; the Department of Buildings says no debris was seen. Evacuated neighboring buildings range from seven to nine, and unit totals vary between 1,500 and 1,600.
Quotes
- “The building remains unstable.” — Mayor Zohran Mamdani
- “It would not be a total collapse, it would be more of a localized collapse.” — Fire Chief John Esposito
- “They obviously didn’t add the right amount of steel… the I-beams are bending like cigarettes in there, which is super dangerous.” — Cliff Johnson, Steamfitters Local 638
- “The affected area is a small section of one of the two buildings on this site.” — Metro Loft spokesperson
Next Steps
Engineers will install emergency shoring, conduct structural analysis, and decide when crews can safely re-enter the 21st floor. The Department of Buildings will investigate the cause, while the mayor urges residents to stay clear until clearance is granted.
