by: Nicole Alarcon, Dominique Jack, Emily Rahhal, Ben Mitchell, Spencer Gustafson
Posted: Jul 7, 2026 / 08:25 AM EDT
Updated: Jul 7, 2026 / 01:00 PM EDT
NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) — A large FDNY response is underway in Midtown after two columns buckled and five floors caved in at a building under construction Tuesday morning.
FDNY said the call came in at 7:57 a.m. for reports of bricks falling from a 33-story high-rise at 235 East 42nd Street.
Floors 21 through 26 of the building caved in, according to FDNY. The building is the site of the former Pfizer location.
The site is an active, permitted construction project to convert the existing commercial office building into residential units, the city’s Department of Buildings press secretary told PIX11 News.
Multiple cracks and sagging floors were reported throughout the building, according to FDNY.
Second Avenue is closed, and East 42nd Street is blocked for access, according to the FDNY. Tape has also been placed on East 43rd Street as crews work to secure the area. Officials have also evacuated buildings around the area.
Workers who were doing construction at the buckled building were evacuated, and no injuries to workers or civilians were reported by FDNY.
x 10 
