The building under renovation which collapsed on Tuesday in the center of Manhattan, causing the evacuation of many residents and workers in the area, is now “stable”, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Wednesday.
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“The structure has not recorded any additional movement since yesterday morning. It remains under surveillance while emergency work is underway,” the elected official further declared at a press conference.
Two supporting columns of a 37-story tower currently under construction, located near Grand Central station, were deformed and floors collapsed on Tuesday, without causing injuries.
Neighboring hotels, businesses and apartments were immediately evacuated and streets closed to traffic, for fear of a collapse of the building, the former headquarters of the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
Getty Images via AFP
Since then, emergency work has consisted of installing temporary props and reinforcing beams, detailed the mayor.
“We have also reduced the number of buildings evacuated. Four buildings now remain subject to a total evacuation order, while a fifth is subject to partial evacuation,” added Mr. Mamdani.
The work that was underway in the building aims to convert this office tower into apartments.
According to its promoters, this real estate project of nearly 120,000 m2, whose completion is scheduled for early 2027, should make it possible to put some 1,600 apartments on the rental market.
“I continue to believe that transforming offices into housing is part of the answer to the housing crisis,” said the mayor of New York.
“But I also consider that these conversions must be carried out in complete safety and ensuring that everyone takes full responsibility,” he continued, promising “a thorough investigation” into what happened on Tuesday.
