New York City officials evacuated multiple buildings in Midtown East on July 7, 2026, after structural support beams buckled at 235 East 42nd Street. The 38-story tower, a former Pfizer headquarters undergoing residential conversion, showed signs of collapse between the 21st and 26th floors, forcing the evacuation of a school with 400 children.
The crisis unfolded around 8 a.m. Tuesday when construction workers spotted cracks and buckling columns on the 21st and 22nd floors. As reported by ABC7 New York, the stress caused floors from the 21st to the 26th to begin caving in. The building—a 1970s-era tower located near the Chrysler Building and Grand Central Terminal—is currently the site of an office-to-residential conversion in the city’s history.
The scale of the danger necessitated a massive emergency response, with Fox News reporting that approximately 130 fire and EMS personnel were activated. The fallout extended far beyond the footprint of the construction site, triggering the evacuation of surrounding buildings, including the Hampton Inn Manhattan Grand Central at 231 East 43rd Street.
The Structural Failure: ‘Bending Like Cigarettes’
While city officials focused on the immediate evacuation, those on the ground described a scene of rapid deterioration. Cliff Johnsen, a spokesperson for the Steamfitters Union, provided a visceral account of the structural compromise, noting that concrete was falling from the roof and windows were buzzing.
“The north side of that building is crumbling, the high beams are bending like cigarettes in there, which is super dangerous.”
Cliff Johnsen, Steamfitters Union spokesperson, via CBS News
The failure appears concentrated in the middle of the tower. First responders found two columns had buckled on the 21st and 22nd floors, leaving the floors above them sagging. This instability was preceded by reports of bricks falling from the building, which first alerted the FDNY at 7:57 a.m.
Johnsen didn’t mince words regarding the cause, alleging that the developer prioritized profit over the safety of construction workers and claiming that insufficient steel was being added during the renovation.
“They chose profit over safety and put my members and every construction worker over here in general,”
Cliff Johnsen, Steamfitters Union spokesperson, via CBS News
In response, the developer, Metro Loft, issued a statement asserting that the safety of the public and workers remains their top priority and that they are working with the Department of Buildings to determine the full scope of the failure.
A Pattern of Negligence: Fines and Violations
This collapse risk is not an isolated incident of bad luck. A review of city records by CBS News New York reveals a history of debris falling from 235 East 42nd Street over the past year.
| Date | Incident | Penalty/Action |
|---|---|---|
| July 2025 | Window glass fell from 8th floor onto sidewalk shed | $5,000 fine |
| August 2025 | Metal panel fell from 33rd floor onto sidewalk | $10,000 fine & temporary stop-work order |
| December 2025 | Worker fell 6 feet from ladder; failure to notify DOB | Violation issued |
Between July and December 2025, the site racked up seven violations totaling more than $32,000 in fines. While these violations were listed as resolved as of Tuesday morning, the recurrence of falling materials suggests a failure in site containment and structural oversight.
The conversion, led by the architectural firm Gensler, aims to create over 1,600 units by adding more than a dozen stories to the original tower. It also involves redesigning an adjoining tower.
Citywide Impact and the Perimeter Lockdown
The immediate aftermath was a logistical nightmare for Midtown East. Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed that the risk of collapse necessitated the shutdown of most of 42nd and 43rd Streets between First and Third Avenues to all pedestrians and vehicles.
“Now luckily there have been no injuries to report at this time, all workers are accounted for, the building has been evacuated, a number of tall buildings in the area are also being evacuated at this time, a school with about 400 children has also been evacuated,”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, via ABC7 New York
The evacuation list included:
- 235 East 42nd Street (The unstable building)
- 231 East 43rd Street (Hampton Inn Manhattan Grand Central)
- Kennedy International School (approx. 400 children)
- 225 East 43rd Street
- 217 East 43rd Street
- 211 East 43rd Street
- 210 East 43rd Street
- 815 2nd Avenue
- 681-701 3rd Avenue
- 235 East 43rd Street
As NBC New York reported, the Department of Buildings is now employing drones to examine the exterior and structural integrity of the tower.
The project was slated for completion by 2027.
