As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, New York City officials had established a “frozen zone” around a building at 235 East 42nd Street as a precautionary measure after the structure, which was being converted from offices to apartments, showed signs of being unstable and at risk of partial collapse.
The zone extended from 40th Street to 45th Street and from First Avenue to Third Avenue in Manhattan, with vehicle and pedestrian traffic halted in the area. Those were the zone’s dimensions earlier in the day before it was briefly shrunk in the late afternoon.
Inspectors with the New York City Buildings Department and Fire Department were going through the zone building by building to assess conditions in the area, determine whether other streets might need to be closed and decide whether people who had been evacuated could return, a spokesman for Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
Only emergency workers essential to shoring up the building were being allowed into the area, a Police Department spokesman said. Police officers were escorting people who needed to get essential items from buildings in the zone, the spokesman said.
Here is what else to know.
What is a frozen zone?
Joseph Esposito, the Fire Department’s chief of department, said at a news conference that in addition to the frozen zone, officials had created a “collapse zone,” which the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health recommends “when there is potential for a structural collapse during firefighting operations.”
The institute defines such a zone as an area “around the perimeter of a structure that could contain debris if the building collapsed,” and it is often equal to one-and-a-half times the structure’s height.
How is public transportation affected?
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced that buses operating on or around Second Avenue were delayed or had been diverted because of street closings near the damaged building.
As of 4 p.m., several bus routes — including the M42, M15, M15-SBS and northbound buses on First Avenue — continued to be affected. For the latest information, riders were advised to visit the M.T.A.’s website, click “Bus” in the “Service Status” box and type in the relevant route.
Subway service on the 7 train, the nearest subway line, was not affected.
How long will the zone remain frozen?
It was unclear how long the restrictions would be in effect. Emergency responders, structural engineers and project engineers were working to reinforce the affected parts of the building Tuesday evening, and inspectors were continuing to assess conditions in the area.
What if I live or work in the area?
Brad Weekes, the Police Department’s assistant commissioner of public information, said that people could leave the area but would not be able to re-enter while the restrictions were in place. Only emergency workers involved in stabilizing the building will be allowed in, he said. Police officers are escorting people who needed to get essential items from the affected area, he said.
Stefanos Chen and Davaughnia Wilson contributed reporting.