Manhattan high-rise at 235 East 42nd St faces criminal probe after collapse fears

A 37‑story office tower at 235 East 42nd Street in Manhattan, being converted into 1,600 luxury apartments, displayed buckled columns, visible cracks and sagging floors, prompting firefighters to evacuate at least five nearby buildings, including a school of 400 children, and shut down several city blocks. The structural failures led city officials to install temporary support beams and stabilize the building by Wednesday.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office and the New York City Department of Investigation have opened a preliminary criminal investigation, while the Department of Buildings conducts its own probe. Developers MetroLoft and David Werner Real Estate, who added 11 new floors to the former Pfizer headquarters, downplayed the incident, with founder Nathan Berman calling it “a typical construction mishap.” Union steamfitters’ representative Cliff Johnston warned that “they obviously didn’t add the right amount of steel, so the north side is crumbling,” noting past complaints about debris and material loss.

Authorities and demonstrators remain on site as engineers continue monitoring the tower, which is slated for completion in 2027 amid Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s push to accelerate office‑to‑residential conversions.