Manhattan high-rise is still unstable after columns buckle, forcing evacuations

Fire Chief John Esposito said the way the steel-framed building is constructed, “it would not be a total collapse, it would be more of a localized collapse.”

Ahmed Tigani, the city’s building commissioner, said officials had not seen evidence that debris fell off the building. Nevertheless, nearby streets remained closed to people and vehicles. Mamdani said there were no reports of injuries.

The office-to-residential conversion would add more than a dozen stories and redesign an adjoining tower, according to Gensler, the architectural firm leading the project. With more than 1,600 units, it has been billed as the largest conversion in the city’s history, Gensler says.

A spokesperson for Gensler did not return a voicemail and email seeking comment.

Officials found two columns had buckled on the 21st and 22nd floors and floors were sagging between the 21st and 26th floors.

First responders and city officials were working closely with the project engineer to develop plans to shore up the impacted flooring, Mamdani said. If it’s deemed to be secure, engineers will enter and begin making repairs.

“This is a minute-by-minute assessment,” the mayor said.

The building commissioner said workers will need to add emergency beams and columns to stabilize the compromised ones.

“Our top priority right now,” the mayor said Tuesday morning, “is the safety of those who live in this area and the safety of those who work in this area.”

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This story has been updated to correct that city officials revised the building’s height to 37 stories, not 38.

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Izaguirre reported from Lindenhurst, New York.

Philip Marcelo And Anthony Izaguirre, The Associated Press

by The Canadian Press

Manhattan high-rise is still unstable after columns buckle, forcing evacuations

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