'Unstable' Midtown Tower Forces Major Streets Shut Down, Mamdani Says

MIDTOWN, NY — A large section of Midtown has been evacuated and closed to traffic Tuesday afternoon as a Midtown tower is at risk of collapse, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a press conference about the developing situation.

The incident was first reported at 7:57 a.m. at 235 E. 42nd St., between Second and Third avenues, where firefighters responded to reports of bricks falling from the 38-story building under construction.

The NYPD has instituted a frozen zone from 40th to 45th streets between First and Third Avenue. These streets have been temporarily closed off to both pedestrian and vehicular traffic, Mamdani said.

"The building remains unstable," Mamdani said. Since arriving on the scene, first responders have witnessed "additional movement" of one of the beams, Mamdani said.

After arriving, crews found two structural columns had buckled on the building's 21st and 22nd floors, while floors between the 21st and 26th stories were sagging, the FDNY said.

"I want to encourage New Yorkers to avoid the area until it has been deemed safe to reenter, as we work to secure this building and ensure that New Yorkers are safe," Mamdani said. "I want to encourage New Yorkers to also continue to follow the instructions of those who are on the ground."

The response grew to roughly 50 units and 150 FDNY and EMS personnel, who remained on scene Tuesday morning as operations continued.

No injuries had been reported as of Tuesday afternoon, and all workers are accounted for, Mamdani said.

As a precaution, officials also evacuated the following nearby buildings:

• 225 E. 43rd St.
• 221 E. 43rd St.
• 815 Second Ave.
• 212 E. 43rd St.
• 211 E. 43rd St.
• 235 E. 42nd St.
• 210 E. 43rd St.

The New York City Department of Buildings also responded to the scene.

The cause of the structural damage was not immediately known, and emergency operations remained ongoing Tuesday afternoon.

The building was once the headquarters of Pfizer, and was undergoing a conversion from offices to housing.

According to city officials, the FDNY and the Department of Buildings are shoring up the impacted floors and waiting for specific materials to be delivered to stabilize the building.

This is a developing story and will be updated. For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.