Fears of a potential collapse at a Midtown Manhattan high-rise were overstated, according to the developer, MetroLoft. The company stated that the structural damage, which led to evacuations and emergency response, was a "localized situation" that never put the building at risk.
Firefighters responded Tuesday to the 37-story building at 235 East 42nd Street, which is being converted from office space to luxury apartments. They discovered two buckled support columns and sagging floors on the 21st floor. This prompted the evacuation of construction workers and residents from nine nearby buildings.
Nathan Berman, founder of MetroLoft, described the incident as a "freak accident" and stated that the damage was contained to a roughly 20-by-20-foot section of the building. He indicated that the building "is now stable" and that the company has "a clear plan to fix" the problem.
"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," Berman said in a statement. He told The Real Deal that reports of an impending collapse had been "blown a little bit out of proportion."
Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed that no additional movement had been detected in the building after overnight stabilization efforts but pledged a full investigation into the cause. Fire officials had initially described the situation as "extremely dangerous," with their primary concern being a "localized collapse."
Berman suggested the damage likely occurred because the added weight from the office-to-residential conversion overloaded two columns. He dismissed claims from a union official that the project lacked sufficient structural steel, calling the allegation "total nonsense" and asserting that the work was designed and approved by structural engineers.
The conversion project, located near Grand Central Terminal, aims to create approximately 1,600 apartments and is considered the largest office-to-residential conversion in New York City history. Berman expressed confidence that replacing the damaged columns and raising the sagging floors would keep the project on track for its planned 2027 completion.