Developer Metro Loft says a Midtown Manhattan office-to-residential conversion project has been stabilised after structural elements buckled earlier this week, prompting the evacuation of construction crews and an ongoing investigation by the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB).
The incident occurred at the former Pfizer World Headquarters building on 42nd Street, where Metro Loft is converting and expanding a 1960s office tower into a residential development. The project includes both horizontal and vertical additions to the existing structure.
In a statement, Metro Loft said the affected area represented only a small portion of the building and rejected reports suggesting the tower faced a risk of collapse.
“We have been working closely with the Department of Buildings to rectify the situation,” said Metro Loft. “Our team worked through the night stabilizing the affected columns, and the DOB has confirmed the structure is now stable.”
“While we understand this has drawn significant attention, we want to be clear: this involves a small fraction of the building, and we are already in the process of resolving it. Reports of risk of a collapse were and are inaccurate.”
Engineers continue investigation into structural failure
Following the incident, the Department of Buildings released an image showing temporary shoring supports installed beside one of the cracked structural columns.
“Engineers will remain on site to monitor the progress of work and continue their investigation into the structural failure,” the DOB said.
Earlier in the week, Metro Loft stated that the issue affected fewer than 30 apartments within a development expected to contain more than 1,600 residential units.
“This is a localized situation affecting less than 30 apartments out of over 1,600. At no time was the building, or any portion of it, at risk of collapse,” said Metro Loft. “We are in the process of addressing the issue and will fully rebuild this portion of the building in tandem with ongoing construction.”
“We remain on schedule, and this work will not delay delivery of the building as it is such a small portion of the project. We are working around the clock so that operations can resume and life in the area can return to normal.”
Investigation follows reports examining project oversight
The structural failure has drawn widespread attention and prompted scrutiny of the project. The New York Times reported that the project’s inspection firm, Domani Inspection Services, had allegedly overlooked warning signs on previous developments, while the New York Post reported on construction-related litigation involving another Metro Loft residential project. Local union representatives have also criticised the project.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Metro Loft founder Nathan Berman said the additional structural load created by the planned vertical expansion contributed to the failure.
“Those two particular columns” collapsed because of the added load from the new floors, Berman told the newspaper.
“Why those particular two columns and nothing else? We don’t know…we’re investigating that.”
As of Friday, Metro Loft said it had no further comment regarding the criticism while investigations into the structural failure continue.
The project is one of several large-scale office-to-residential conversions currently reshaping New York City’s commercial building stock as developers adapt aging office towers for residential use.