As downtown Seattle offices empty, city facing years of 'zombie' towers

David Werner, Metro Loft’s Pfizer HQ at risk of collapse

Concerns of a collapse of the old Pfizer headquarters in Midtown Manhattan arose Tuesday morning after reports of falling bricks and buckling columns. The FDNY was called to the scene at 235 East 42nd Street before 8 a.m., according to Fire Department officials. Officials discovered several sagging floors on the upper levels, as well as two support columns that were buckling. The discoveries prompted the evacuation of construction workers at the office-to-residential conversion, led by David Werner and Nathan Berman’s Metro Loft Management. Gensler is the architect of the project, one of the largest conversions in the city. Officials also []This article originally appeared on The Real Deal. Click here to read the full story.

Manhattan Skyscraper Evacuated Over Collapse Fears

FDNYA Midtown Manhattan skyscraper has been evacuated after construction workers discovered structural problems that raised fears of a possible collapse. Crews cleared the 37-story building on East 42nd Street shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday after two support beams on the 21st and 22nd floors began buckling. Officials said floors 21 through 26 showed signs of stress and partial failure. The building, which previously housed pharmaceutical company Pfizer, was emptied as a precaution, with no injuries reported. Eight nearby buildings were also evacuated while emergency crews assessed the situation. The FDNY said it was responding to a “major technical rescue response,” while New York City Department of Buildings inspectors launched an investigation. A section of East 42nd Street between Second and Third Avenues has been closed to traffic and pedestrians as officials assess the building’s safety. The building is undergoing a luxury apartment conversion.Read more at The Daily Beast.

NYC high-rise on verge of collapse triggers mass evacuations

A section of New York's Manhattan has been evacuated over fears a building could collapse. The office tower, formerly the headquarters of Pfizer, is currently undergoing renovations. Bricks have reportedly fallen from the active construction site, raising safety concerns. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani says the issue is believed to be on the building's 21st floor.

Downtown L.A. World Trade Center to become affordable apartments

An aging downtown office complex will be converted into apartments as part of an ambitious plan by local real estate companies to create 4,000 affordable housing units in Los Angeles. The first project will be a 200-million makeover of the L.A. World Trade Center, a sprawling white elephant of an office complex on Figueroa Street []

New York construction scare highlights the challenges of converting offices into housing

New York construction scare highlights the challenges of converting offices into housing