NYC Skyscraper Appears to Avoid Collapse

A skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan that officials warned was at risk of collapsing earlier this week has been deemed stable, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a press conference on Wednesday, July 8.

"I want to assure all New Yorkers that there has been no additional movement of the structure since yesterday morning," said Mamdani. "This continues to be monitored as that emergency work is underway."

The building, the former headquarters of Pfizer, is in the process of being converted into apartments.

On Tuesday, workers noticed cracks in the building, reported ABC 7 New York. Support columns located on the 21st and 22nd floors of the 37-story building were beginning to buckle, and the construction workers then evacuated. Four nearby buildings were ordered to evacuate as there were concerns that there could be a "localized" collapse of the under-construction skyscraper.

Emergency and temporary support beams and shoring were added Tuesday to prevent the skyscraper from collapsing.

“As soon as this emergency is concluded, the [New York City Department of Buildings] is going to be conducting a rigorous assessment and ensuring that the plans and the site are fully compliant with all codes,” Mamdani said.

Metro Loft, the developer converting the building into approximately 1,600 apartments, denied that the building, "or any portion of it," was ever at risk of collapsing.

“Reports of risk of a collapse were and are inaccurate,” said a statement from Metro Loft, reported by CNN.

“We have identified the issue and developed a clear plan to fix it,” Metro Loft said. “We are in the process of addressing the issue and will fully rebuild this portion of the building in tandem with ongoing construction.”