MIDTOWN, Manhattan (PIX11) — When two columns buckled in the former Pfizer headquarters building in New York City on Tuesday, multiple streets closed, surrounding buildings were evacuated and overall chaos ensued for dozens of people in the area. But did the building actually collapse?
Although the former office building at 235 East 42nd St. caused fears of a collapse due to its instability, the full building did not come down on Tuesday. However, the bent columns did cause floors 21 through 26 to cave in as FDNY officials explained.
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According to FDNY Chief of Department John M. Esposito, there was concern the building could have more of a localized collapse instead of a full collapse due to it being made of steel. In the event, city officials set up a collapse zone around the area to ensure public safety.
As of Wednesday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani assured that the building had not shifted since just before 3 p.m. on Tuesday. Teams from the Department of Buildings have also worked throughout the night to bring in additional materials to stabilize the building and have since shored up eight floors.
(Credit: PIX11 News)
It was not immediately made clear when construction on the residential complex, led by David Werner Real Estate Investments and MetroLoft, would resume.
Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.
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