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NYPD officers stopping traffice and pedestrians from accessing 42nd street between third and second avenue as emergency repairs are being made at the former Pfizer Headquarters on 42nd Street. Sipa US/Alamy Live News
Building Safety
New York officials are worried this 37-storey skyscraper could partially collapse
The building was evacuated due to buckled columns, cracks and sagging floors.
CREWS IN NEW York City are working to stabilise a Manhattan high-rise building that is at risk of partial collapse.
On Tuesday, the 37-storey building was evacuated due to buckled columns, cracks, and sagging floors, the city’s officials told a news conference.
Neighbouring buildings were also evacuated as a precaution. Streets were closed to traffic amid fears that the building might collapse.
No one was injured.
The building is the former headquarters of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and is in the process of being converted from offices into apartments.
New York mayor Zohran Mamdani told a press briefing on Wednesday that the building is now stable and it is still being monitored as emergency works on the structure continue.
Emergency work has consisted of installing temporary shoring and reinforcement beams, he said.
According to its developers, this real estate project of nearly 1.3 million square feet, scheduled for completion in early 2027, is expected to bring around 1,600 rental apartments onto the market.
“I do continue to consider the conversion of office space into residential space as part of our answer to the housing crisis,” Mamdani
“I also consider that we have to do so safely and in a way that is fully accountable, he said, promising a thorough investigation.
Many of those who evacuated the office building left their belongings behind, but it has been estimated it could be up to two weeks before they’ll be allowed to reenter.
Additional reporting by AFP
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