A full evacuation has been ordered at a building in Midtown Manhattan that is undergoing conversion from office space to luxury apartments, after signs of structural weakness prompted fears of a building collapse.
A New York City Fire Department official told Realtor.com that the department responded to reports of falling bricks at 235 East 42nd Street at around 8 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
Officials say construction workers on the 21st floor of the building saw the columns beginning to collapse. Sagging floors were observed between the 21st and 26th floors.
A full evacuation was ordered. No injuries have been reported. Approximately 40 FDNY units consisting of 140 fire and EMS personnel are responding to the scene.
Department of Building engineers are on the scene and are using FDNY drone footage to examine the building, officials said.
The surrounding area near East 42nd Street and Second Avenue has been closed to traffic.
The 38-story building was formerly home to Pfizer’s global headquarters. It is currently being converted into a 1,500-unit luxury rental complex.Â
Developing story, more to follow.
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Keith Griffith is a senior news editor at Realtor.com covering housing policy, real estate news, and trends in the residential market. Previously, his work has appeared in Business Insider, The Street, Chicago Sun-Times, New York Post, and Daily Mail, among other publications. He has a master’s degree in economic and business journalism from Columbia University.
