Metro Loft stabilizes buckling Midtown skyscraper after structural failure

Developer Metro Loft has stabilized a New York City skyscraper at 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan after buckling structural elements prompted crew evacuations. The building, a former Pfizer World Headquarters from the 1960s, is being converted from office to residential use. Metro Loft stated that at no time was the building at risk of collapse, calling reports inaccurate. The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) confirmed the structure is now stable and shared images of shoring supports. The incident affected less than 30 of over 1,600 apartments. Metro Loft founder Nathan Berman told The Wall Street Journal that added floors caused two columns to collapse, though the reason remains under investigation. The New York Times reported that inspector Domani Inspection Services missed warning signs on other projects, while the New York Post noted a construction lawsuit against Metro Loft. Local union workers criticized the project. The tower is one of several office-to-residential conversions in the city, including an art deco skyscraper in Lower Manhattan and a former women's prison by CookFox.