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Manhattan construction site stabilized after support beams buckle
Crews worked overnight to secure an under-construction apartment building in Manhattan after columns buckled and floors sagged. Officials said the structure has been stabilized, though some nearby buildings remain under evacuation orders and streets stay closed.
Jul 8, 11:23 AM·1m read1 source
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Crews worked overnight to shore up an under-construction apartment building in Manhattan after some of its columns buckled and floors sagged on the 21st floor. Authorities responded to emergency calls early Tuesday and found two damaged support beams along with sagging floors. The building and a wide stretch of surrounding streets near the Grand Central transit hub were evacuated.
Stabilization efforts Officials said the building has been stabilized after a floor-by-floor inspection allowed on-site contractors to reenter and perform emergency repairs. The building was empty except for workers at the time. Some surrounding buildings remain under evacuation orders and normally busy midtown streets stayed closed Wednesday while work continued.
Project background The renovation is described as the largest office-to-residential conversion in the city’s history and is expected to create about 1,600 housing units. Plans include adding more than a dozen stories to one tower and redesigning another.
A project developer said the building itself is not at risk of collapse and that no debris fell, though the firm’s founder acknowledged that added weight from widening the top floors likely caused the damage.
