New York City's Department of Investigation says it has launched an inquiry into a Manhattan high-rise where two supporting columns buckled this week, prompting evacuations and a scramble to stabilize the office building.
A DOI spokeswoman confirmed the investigation but provided no further details.
The Midtown building, the former headquarters of Pfizer, was in the process of being converted from offices into residential units when workers spotted structural concerns on its 21st floor Tuesday, officials said. First responders found two buckled columns and several sagging floors, and officials said the building continued to move in the hours that followed.
The conversion of the building, located on East 42nd Street between Second and Third avenues, is part of a wider effort to relieve the city's housing crunch by repurposing empty office space. The project is the largest-ever office-to-residential conversion in the U.S. and aims by next year to create roughly 1,600 apartments, along with a rooftop pool, fitness center and ground-floor shops.
The New York City Department of Buildings has said it also would review all construction plans at the former Pfizer property, interview witnesses and inspect the site. The investigation will look at whether the construction work matches approved engineering plans and whether construction workers did the work correctly.
Developer MetroLoft, Grace Consulting Engineers and inspection firm Domani Inspection Services were all involved in the project, and none have been accused of wrongdoing. Nathan Berman, managing principal and founder of MetroLoft, told The Wall Street Journal earlier this week that the increased weight from the widening of about 15 top floors -- starting on the 22nd floor -- likely caused the structural damage.
MetroLoft and Grace didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on the DOI inquiry. A Domani spokeswoman said the firm "remains committed to maintaining the highest professional standards and providing independent, code-compliant special inspection services."
Write to Jack Pitcher at jack.pitcher@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 11, 2026 17:47 ET (21:47 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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