MANHATTAN, N.Y. – A major structural emergency prompted evacuations Tuesday morning after engineers discovered significant damage inside a 37-story building undergoing renovation in Midtown Manhattan, according to the Fire Department of New York.
The incident was reported shortly before 8 a.m. at 235 East 42nd Street, between Second and Third avenues, where a former commercial office tower is being converted into a residential building. FDNY crews, the New York City Department of Buildings, and NYC Emergency Management responded to evaluate the structure.
Union construction worker Cliff Johnson, a steamfitter with Local 638 who said his members were working on the building’s fire protection system, claimed the structural problems developed as crews added weight to a planned 16-story vertical expansion.
According to Johnson, the building was being renovated and reinforced for the additional floors, but he alleged the structural steel was insufficient.
“The I-beams are bending like cigarettes in there, which is super dangerous,” Johnson said, adding that workers observed bent steel, cracked walls, and falling concrete before the site was evacuated.
He said the problems developed rapidly as construction progressed.
Johnson said he expects engineers will need to conduct extensive structural evaluations before any work can resume and estimated the site could remain closed for at least a month.
He also criticized what he described as a focus on cutting costs at the expense of safety, saying, “We’re New York City. We build it right. We build it the first time. And they chose profit over safety and put my members and every construction worker over here in jeopardy.”
Johnson’s statements reflect his personal assessment of the situation and have not been independently verified by city officials or investigators.
Buckled columns found on 21st floor
Officials said crews discovered two structural columns that had buckled on the building’s 21st floor, along with multiple cracks and sagging floors, raising concerns about the stability of the structure.
“It’s a very serious situation because the box beams—the steel beams—have started to bend and deflect from the weight,” FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said. “We evacuated the building and started evacuations of surrounding buildings. The building has continued to move since we have been on the scene.”
The extent of the surrounding evacuations was not immediately released.
All workers accounted for
FDNY said approximately 150 fire and EMS personnel responded to the emergency. Department drones were also deployed to provide aerial imagery and technical information to engineers and partner agencies conducting structural assessments.
Officials confirmed that all construction workers were accounted for by 1 p.m. Tuesday, and no injuries had been reported.
Investigation continues
The cause of the structural failure remains under investigation by the Department of Buildings and other city agencies.
Officials have not said when the building or surrounding properties may be deemed safe for reentry as engineers continue evaluating the stability of the structure.
