NYC high-rise ‘collapse zone’ leaves guests and locals scrambling for hotel rooms as street closures continue - The high-rise previously housed offices for the pharmaceutical company Pfizer and was be

Two columns buckled and floors sagged in the former Pfizer headquarters in Midtown during an apartment conversion.

A Midtown high-rise on East 42nd Street whose support columns were discovered buckling Tuesday was dramatically evacuated during the morning rush, along with eight surrounding buildings.

A Midtown Manhattan high-rise building was evacuated Tuesday morning after authorities said it was at risk of collapsing. The 38-story building at 235 East 42nd Street was once the corporate headquarters for the pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

The conversion of an office building on East 42nd Street would be the largest project of its kind in New York City’s history, according to the architectural firm behind the plan.

Fire officials said crews would begin working to stabilize the building after no additional movement was detected in two columns that had buckled.

New York City has bet heavily on converting aging office buildings into apartments to help ease a housing shortage. But the threat of a partial collapse Tuesday by one such conversion in progress highlighted the significant challenges of those construction projects.

Streets around the building found at risk of collapse are closed for safety in New York, the United States, on July 7, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua) Construction workers evacuated from the building found at risk of collapse stay in a safe place in New York,

Indian UN Mission evacuated amid NYC high-rise collapse risk, with all diplomats safe as officials assess the unstable building.