New York shrinks ‘frozen zone’ around compromised high-rise but warns of tense days ahead as it rushes to save structure

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

New York City officials have begun easing the “frozen zone” around a compromised Midtown high-rise evacuated Tuesday, though small pockets of Manhattan remain off-limits as of Wednesday morning.

Through the night, construction crews labored to stabilize the old Pfizer building at 235 East 42nd Street — located one block from the Chrysler Building — shoring up the 37-story structure amid lingering concerns about its integrity.

Police cordoned off the area between East 42nd and 43rd Streets and between Second and Third Avenues, with traffic still restricted early Wednesday. Access was permitted for local residents and workers, except in buildings still under evacuation orders. In total, five buildings remained partially or fully vacated.

The disruption began early Tuesday, when construction workers noticed alarming signs of stress — cracking, buckling and falling bricks — in the building, which is in the midst of being converted to luxury apartments. Fearing a partial collapse, officials ordered evacuations of the tower and neighboring properties. Among the evacuated buildings was a school with about 400 children, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. No injuries have been reported.

By late Tuesday, authorities said the structure had been stabilized. “We’ve been monitoring the building for many hours and have not seen any movement,” Department of Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said during a press conference late Tuesday night. “Right now we have been in a consistent, stable and safe situation.”

New York City shrank the ‘frozen zone’ around compromised Manhattan high-rise on Wednesday, but warns of tense days ahead as workers rushes to save the 37-story structure (Getty Images)

Initially, officials established a sweeping frozen zone spanning 40th to 45th Streets between First and Third Avenues. That perimeter has since been scaled back, but Tigani cautioned that “the public should not engage with that area.”

This is a breaking story…