A 37-story New York City building is under a preliminary criminal investigation after buckling columns, cracks and sagging floors prompted evacuations and brought surrounding streets to a standstill in midtown, according to a new report.
Spearheaded by the Manhattan district attorney’s office and the New York City Department of Investigation, the inquiry is in its infancy and its ultimate focus remains unclear, The New York Times reported Friday.
Untangling what went wrong at 235 East 42nd Street — an office tower in the midst of a conversion into luxury apartments — and whether any individual or entity bears criminal liability could take years. Investigators may ultimately determine that no charges are warranted.
The disruption began Tuesday morning, when firefighters responding to the high-rise discovered buckled columns, visible cracks and sagging floors. Fearing a partial collapse, officials ordered evacuations of at least five buildings, displacing residents, office workers, and tourists, many of whom were left without access to their belongings. Traffic in the densely packed corridor ground to a halt as authorities shut down multiple blocks.
Through the night, crews worked to install temporary support beams, and by Wednesday, city officials said the structure had been stabilized. Inspectors and engineers remained on site to monitor conditions, while the Department of Buildings opened its own investigation into the incident.
The project — led by MetroLoft and David Werner Real Estate — was poised to become the largest residential conversion in the country, transforming the former Pfizer headquarters into 1,600 apartments. As part of the overhaul, workers have been adding 11 new floors to an area that previously rose 22 stories, according to The Real Deal.
After the building’s structural issues disrupted a bustling stretch of Manhattan – forcing evacuations that included a school of 400 children – the developer moved to downplay concerns.
“This incident is nothing more than a typical construction mishap,” MetroLoft founder Nathan Berman told the Times. “It happens unfortunately far too often on construction sites: falling cranes, people — God forbid — falling off buildings, windows falling out.”
Berman has also sought to reassure investors that the project remains on track for completion in 2027, two sources with knowledge of the matter told the Times.
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By contrast, some city officials and union workers questioned how such significant problems — like crumpled columns — could have gone unnoticed. On Wednesday, demonstrators gathered near the site, some holding signs reading “Crime Scene” and “1,600 residential units at risk due to cutting corners.”
“They obviously didn’t add the right amount of steel, so the north side is crumbling,” Steamfitters union representative Cliff Johnson told local media last week. “The I-beams are bending like cigarettes in there, which is super dangerous.”
According to the Department of Buildings, the tower has 44 prior complaints against it, including an allegation in March that a worker was blowing material off the roof. In April, another complaint said there was “falling debris” from the building, which an emergency response team later said they had not observed.
Office-to-residential conversions have become a centerpiece of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s push to address the city’s long-running housing shortage. His SPEED task force is attempting to accelerate the process, with a goal of shaving roughly five months off permitting timelines.
This week, Mamdani said a “full investigation” would be conducted to determine what went wrong at 235 East 42nd Street. Asked whether the incident raised concerns about his push to streamline office-to-residential conversions, he responded that “streamlining and safety are not in tension.”
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that lenders and investors across the U.S. are now “reconsidering” future investments in similar projects.
When reached by The Independent, a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office declined to comment. The Independent has contacted the New York City Department of Investigation, David Werner Real Estate and MetroLoft for comment.
