Why was Pfizer’s former headquarters evacuated? New York City Building Department explains concerns about collapse after review
The former Pfizer headquarters is located in midtown manhattan The building was evacuated this week after construction workers discovered major structural problems inside, prompting an emergency response and raising fears of a possible collapse.
While the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) continues to evaluate the site, the developers behind the project insist the high-rise was never at risk of collapse.
The 38-story building at 235 East 42nd Street is currently being converted from office space into approximately 1,600 rental apartments as part of new york cityLargest office to residential redevelopment project.
Why was Pfizer’s former headquarters evacuated?
According to the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), construction workers reported buckling of support columns on the 21st and 22nd floors around 8 a.m. Tuesday. Subsequent inspections found sagging floors from the 21st to 26th floors, leading authorities to order an immediate evacuation of the construction site.
Officials confirmed that all workers arrived safely and no injuries were reported, Marca reported. Engineers from the New York City Department of Buildings remain on site to determine what caused the structural failure and whether the building can be safely stabilized.
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What did the New York City Department of Buildings do?
As a precautionary measure, authorities expanded the evacuation zone to include at least nine neighboring buildings, including a nearby school with about 400 students, Marca reported. The Department of Buildings has been working with the FDNY and other emergency agencies to assess the structural integrity of the building before anyone is allowed back into the building.
Officials also closed East 42nd Street between Second and Third avenues to pedestrian and vehicular traffic while inspections continued. Despite the emergency near Central Station, Metro and Metro-North rail services continued to operate, but commuters were told to expect delays and use alternative routes due to street closures.
The Department of Transportation has not yet announced what caused the column to buckle or when the building may reopen.
Investigators are also reviewing the project’s construction history, but authorities have not yet linked the incident to previous construction-related safety violations at the site.
Developer dispute raises concerns
Developer Nathan Berman, who is responsible for the residential conversion, dismissed reports that the building was about to collapse.
In an interview with The Real Deal, Berman described the incident as “a freak accident” and said “two particular columns… were either not reinforced or not reinforced enough and then gave way.”
He also argued that reports that the building was about to be demolished collapse Being “praised a bit out of proportion”.
Berman denied claims that insufficient steel was used during construction, calling the accusations “complete nonsense,” adding that the project was “well designed and approved by structural engineers.”
“The building was never at risk of collapse,” he said, adding that the structural problems were “repairable” and that the city’s investigation was ongoing.
