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Emergency measures are working to stabilize an under-construction, high-rise building in Midtown Manhattan after its two support columns buckled, sparking concerns of a partial collapse, officials said.The Fire Department of New York responded early July 7 to reports of bricks falling from the 37-story building currently under construction on East 42nd Street, between 2nd and 3rd avenues, a heavily congested area of Manhattan. Officials found two columns had buckled on the 21st and 22nd floors and floors were sagging between the 21st and 26th floors. FDNY Chief John Esposito warned at a news conference that while a total collapse was unlikely, the building may be at risk of partial collapse.Ahmed Tigani, commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings, told reporters late July 7 that jacks were in place to stabilize the weak points and new steel was being installed to create additional stability. He said that officials had not seen any movement after hours of monitoring inside and outside the building.“I can say right now the building is stable. It has not moved since we started monitoring it earlier today,” Tigani said. “And we feel confident in the emergency plan we have now.”Some evacuation orders, street closures lifted in 'frozen zone'The city established a "frozen zone" from 40th through 45th streets between 1st and 3rd avenues, temporarily closing the area to pedestrian and vehicular traffic, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at an afternoon press conference on July 7. Nearby tall buildings and a school with about 400 children were evacuated, the mayor said. The Israeli consulate was also evacuated, consular officials said in a statement.By late July 7, Tigani said the frozen zone had been "shrunk considerably."Five buildings remained under evacuation orders but occupants of the other previously evacuated buildings were allowed to return, Tigani said. He said 42nd and 43rd Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue remained closed to vehicles, but all other traffic and pedestrian restrictions were lifted.What caused the columns to buckle?Tigani declined to comment on what caused the columns to buckle, saying the investigation would continue when the efforts to stabilize the building are complete.Nathan Berman, the founder of MetroLoft, the developer of the building, told The Wall Street Journal that he believes the additional weight from the widening of about 15 top floors likely caused the support columns to buckle."Why those particular two columns and nothing else? We don’t know,” he told the Journal. “We’re investigating that."What is the building at risk of collapse?The building broke ground in 1959, according to the New York Times and Reuters. In 1961, the pharmaceutical company Pfizer moved its headquarters to the space and expanded its offices there.The building is being converted into a 1,600-unit apartment building due for completion in 2027, according to the architectural firm Gensler's website.It's located just east of Grand Central Terminal, the major transit hub, as well as the iconic Chrysler Building, both of which are on 42nd Street. It’s also an avenue west of the United Nations headquarters.Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas, Michael Loria and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY; Amethyst Martinez, Levittown
