Former Pfizer NYC Skyscraper Stabilized After Columns Buckle

Emergency stabilization work at a major Midtown Manhattan high-rise appeared to be working on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, as New York City officials announced the former Pfizer global headquarters had been deemed "stable" following an alarming structural incident that triggered mass evacuations in the heart of the city.

What Happened

Workers at the 37-story building at 235 East 42nd Street — once the global headquarters of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and currently undergoing conversion into a luxury residential complex with 1,600 planned units — discovered that two structural support columns on the 21st floor had begun to buckle at approximately 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 7. New York City's Department of Buildings was immediately notified, and officials ordered the evacuation of the building along with four adjacent structures.

Fire officials, drone inspection teams, and structural engineers from the Department of Buildings converged on the site. Department Commissioner Ahmed Tigani confirmed an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the column failures.

Cause: Too Much Weight Added at the Top

Nathan Berman, the managing principal and founder of MetroLoft — the developer behind the conversion project — said the most likely explanation was that workers had added too much structural weight to the upper floors during ongoing construction work. "The additional weight added during construction on the top of the building likely caused structural columns to buckle," Berman said, adding that the company was working closely with the city to address the situation.

Stabilization Efforts

By Wednesday morning, a team of engineers had installed temporary hydraulic jacks and new steel reinforcements on the 21st floor to shore up the affected columns. Officials with the Mayor's office of Zulaikha Mamdani said they were "confident" the measures had stabilized the structure. No additional movement in the columns had been observed since the installation of the temporary supports.

Evacuations in parts of the immediate area — including a stretch of 42nd Street — were partially lifted, though all four surrounding buildings remained under evacuation orders as engineers continued their assessment of the structural risks.

No Injuries

Remarkably, no injuries were reported either inside the building or in the surrounding area. Because the conversion project is ongoing and the building is not yet occupied, the immediate risk to residents was limited. However, the incident drew concern from urban engineers and city officials about inspection regimes for large-scale construction conversion projects in New York City's dense midtown core.

A full structural review of the building is expected in the coming days before any decision on lifting remaining evacuation orders or resuming construction work.