Buckling Manhattan high-rise deemed ‘stable’ for now after evacuations ordered

The building, formerly Pfizer headquarters, is being converted into a 1,500-unit luxury rental complex. Some neighboring buildings have been evacuated.

An unoccupied Manhattan high-rise that is under construction was deemed “stable” late Tuesday after being at risk of collapse and prompting nearby evacuations, city officials said.

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The area surrounding the 37-story building, in midtown Manhattan near Grand Central Terminal, was evacuated after two structural support columns on its 21st floor began to buckle around 8 a.m. No injuries were reported.

“I can say right now the building is stable,” Ahmed Tigani, the city’s buildings commissioner, told reporters during a Tuesday night news conference. Some evacuation orders had been lifted, Tigani said, adding “we feel confident in the emergency plan that we have.”