Manhattan building stable after buckling, mayor says

A Manhattan high-rise that buckled during renovation near Grand Central Terminal is now stable, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Wednesday, after the incident forced evacuations and street closures.

"There has been no additional movement of the structure since yesterday morning," Mamdani told a briefing. He said emergency work was continuing and the building was still being monitored.

Two load-bearing columns of the 37-story tower warped Tuesday and several floors sagged. No injuries were reported.

Nearby hotels, shops and apartments were evacuated and streets were closed because of fears the building, formerly Pfizer's headquarters, could collapse. Mamdani said temporary shoring and reinforcement beams had been installed.

The mayor said the evacuation zone had been reduced to four buildings under full vacate orders and one building under a partial vacate order for a ground-floor restaurant.

The tower is being converted from offices into apartments. Its developers say the nearly 1.3 million-square-foot project is scheduled for completion in early 2027 and is expected to add about 1,600 rental apartments. Mamdani said office-to-housing conversions can help address the housing crisis but must be done safely, and promised a thorough investigation.