▲ The 37-story building in Manhattan, New York, where an evacuation order was issued on July 7 (local time) due to concerns of a structural collapse.
A high-rise building in Manhattan, New York, which had been under an evacuation order due to fears of collapse, has regained stability following emergency reinforcement work conducted overnight.
According to reports from The New York Times (NYT) and CNN on July 8 (local time), New York City authorities carried out emergency reinforcement operations at the site from the previous day through the early hours of this morning.
Emergency hydraulic jacks were installed to support the 21st-floor column, which had buckled under the weight, and additional steel supports were welded into place in the surrounding area.
New York City Mayor Jumaane Williams stated during a briefing this morning that temporary supports had been installed to reinforce the damaged building and that there had been no further movement detected in the structure.
The issue was first reported at 8:00 a.m. on July 7, when structural problems were identified in the 37-story building located in a busy area of Manhattan.
After authorities confirmed that two steel columns on the 21st and 22nd floors had buckled and that some floors were sagging, they issued an evacuation order for nine surrounding buildings and completely closed off nearby roads.
The developer suggested that the increased load from the building's expansion may have caused the structural defects.
Nathan Berman, head of the development firm MetroLoft, told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that the deformation of the two columns appears to have been caused by the added weight from expanding 15 floors sideways, starting from the 22nd floor.
However, Berman noted that the damage was limited to a portion of the expansion area, stating, "95% of the building is structurally sound, and there is no risk of a sudden collapse."
The building in question was constructed in the 1960s and formerly served as the global headquarters for the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. It was recently undergoing remodeling to be converted into a residential facility with approximately 1,600 units.
The project involves not only renovating the existing building but also adding 19 new floors on top of a 10-story building constructed in 1905, and connecting the two adjacent structures.
In New York, there has been a surge in projects converting aging office buildings, which saw increased vacancy rates following the COVID-19 pandemic, into apartments.
As this approach has gained attention for reducing downtown vacancy rates and increasing housing supply, the New York City government has actively encouraged it through tax incentives and other measures.
Converting offices into residential facilities is a large-scale undertaking that involves extensive structural, plumbing, and mechanical work.
U.S. media outlets reported that the process of integrating existing aging buildings with new structural additions is significantly more complex and carries higher risks than standard new construction.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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